WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.025 --> 00:00:02.025 Grace, mercy, and peace 2 00:00:02.025 --> 00:00:04.825 be to you from God, our Father and from our Lord and Savior Jesus 3 00:00:04.825 --> 00:00:05.725 Christ. 4 00:00:05.925 --> 00:00:06.425 Amen. 5 00:00:07.725 --> 00:00:13.325 Today's text, Isaiah 51 verses 4 through 6 is actually the second 6 00:00:13.325 --> 00:00:19.025 paragraph of a three paragraph, sermon that Isaiah preaches in chapter 7 00:00:19.025 --> 00:00:22.025 51, verse has one through eight and it would be great if you guys want 8 00:00:22.025 --> 00:00:23.725 to take out your Bibles 9 00:00:24.025 --> 00:00:26.225 and look at those as I'm talking. 10 00:00:26.825 --> 00:00:30.225 It's a blessedly small short sermon 11 00:00:31.425 --> 00:00:34.325 in which I found enormous comfort. 12 00:00:35.125 --> 00:00:37.525 Now, to explain how I get any comfort at all 13 00:00:37.525 --> 00:00:38.425 from Isaiah 14 00:00:38.725 --> 00:00:43.125 I need to begin at the opening line of the sermon. 15 00:00:44.425 --> 00:00:47.725 Listen to me, you, who pursue righteousness. 16 00:00:47.925 --> 00:00:50.425 You who seek Yahweh, 17 00:00:50.625 --> 00:00:53.625 Isaiah says. Now, at first glance 18 00:00:54.025 --> 00:00:56.625 I thought I could assume that Isaiah was talking to me 19 00:00:56.625 --> 00:01:00.125 even as he addressed, this Congregation of Israel. 20 00:01:00.225 --> 00:01:03.325 I assumed an easy relevance of his message. 21 00:01:04.325 --> 00:01:09.825 But as I listened more I had my doubts you see he's not really talking 22 00:01:09.825 --> 00:01:10.425 to me. 23 00:01:10.825 --> 00:01:15.825 Most commentaries say, in fact that he's addressing some committed 24 00:01:15.825 --> 00:01:22.025 Israelites of his day. God-fearers who obeyed Yahweh and desired to 25 00:01:22.025 --> 00:01:26.325 keep his Commandments unlike so many of the rebellious people around 26 00:01:26.325 --> 00:01:26.625 them. 27 00:01:28.125 --> 00:01:34.125 Nevertheless I was interested in what Isaiah said to them. As I said, 28 00:01:34.225 --> 00:01:38.925 Isaiah was preaching at a time when Israel continually disobeyed God's 29 00:01:38.925 --> 00:01:42.025 law by and large they worshipped false gods or worshiped 30 00:01:42.025 --> 00:01:43.425 the true God falsely. 31 00:01:43.625 --> 00:01:45.525 They lived immoral lives. 32 00:01:45.925 --> 00:01:51.325 Moses had warned the people long ago that God would bless them if they 33 00:01:51.325 --> 00:01:56.425 kept his Commandments, but that he would curse them if they refuse to 34 00:01:56.425 --> 00:01:57.625 listen to his voice. 35 00:01:58.725 --> 00:02:03.225 And now those curses that Moses warned them about were hanging over 36 00:02:03.225 --> 00:02:04.225 the heads of everyone. 37 00:02:05.125 --> 00:02:09.925 Now, you would think that when addressing some committed pursuers of 38 00:02:09.925 --> 00:02:12.325 righteousness and true seekers of Yahweh 39 00:02:12.825 --> 00:02:15.725 Isaiah would encourage them to continue the pursuit. 40 00:02:16.525 --> 00:02:20.725 You would think that he would reinforce Moses instruction and assure 41 00:02:20.725 --> 00:02:24.125 them of God's blessings for their obedience. 42 00:02:26.325 --> 00:02:27.625 But he doesn't do that. 43 00:02:28.025 --> 00:02:30.625 He doesn't tell them that they are on the right track 44 00:02:30.625 --> 00:02:34.325 and God is really quite pleased with what they're about. 45 00:02:34.525 --> 00:02:37.725 He doesn't urge them to walk in the law of the Lord, so that God will 46 00:02:37.725 --> 00:02:38.425 bless them. 47 00:02:38.525 --> 00:02:39.725 There's not even a single 48 00:02:39.825 --> 00:02:45.425 if you do this, then God will do this for you clause in that entire 49 00:02:45.425 --> 00:02:45.925 sermon. 50 00:02:46.625 --> 00:02:49.925 In fact, he overlooks Mosaic law entirely and skips all the way back 51 00:02:49.925 --> 00:02:51.425 to Abraham and Sarah. 52 00:02:52.525 --> 00:02:56.625 He reminds his Congregation of what God did for Abraham. 53 00:02:57.725 --> 00:03:02.325 Remember that Abraham was one person when I called him 54 00:03:02.325 --> 00:03:03.325 Isaiah says. 55 00:03:05.125 --> 00:03:11.625 That is God called him and as we all know, God gave Abraham a promise. 56 00:03:12.925 --> 00:03:17.625 That's why Isaiah says that God called Abraham for the very purpose of 57 00:03:17.625 --> 00:03:19.925 blessing him and multiplying him. 58 00:03:20.425 --> 00:03:23.725 Now if I'm understanding Isaiah correctly, he wants his hearers to 59 00:03:23.725 --> 00:03:27.025 remember that when God chose Abraham 60 00:03:27.025 --> 00:03:30.225 he put no conditions on his blessing. 61 00:03:31.325 --> 00:03:35.125 God gave Abraham a blessing before he was a pursuer of righteousness. 62 00:03:35.725 --> 00:03:40.525 Before he was a seeker of Yahweh. Before he kept the law. God just 63 00:03:40.525 --> 00:03:46.425 chose him and blessed him freely while Abraham was still a sinner. 64 00:03:47.025 --> 00:03:51.025 And as Moses himself tells us Abraham believed Yahweh and the Lord 65 00:03:51.025 --> 00:03:53.125 counted it to him as righteousness. 66 00:03:54.825 --> 00:03:59.025 In other words, Isaiah wanted Israel to remember that from the very 67 00:03:59.125 --> 00:03:59.625 beginning 68 00:03:59.625 --> 00:04:03.825 it was Yahweh who found them and it was righteousness that came to 69 00:04:03.825 --> 00:04:06.725 them without Abraham pursuing it. 70 00:04:07.525 --> 00:04:11.125 God made Abraham a promise and God delivered on his promise over and 71 00:04:11.125 --> 00:04:12.025 over again 72 00:04:12.125 --> 00:04:13.025 in fact. 73 00:04:14.525 --> 00:04:19.125 Isaiah then connects the dots for his congregation by telling them 74 00:04:19.125 --> 00:04:20.825 what this means for them. 75 00:04:21.525 --> 00:04:25.525 It means that God has not and will not break his promise. 76 00:04:25.825 --> 00:04:29.225 No matter what the people are facing in the present time, whether they 77 00:04:29.225 --> 00:04:33.325 are forsaken, broken, lost, under judgment, or in the middle of a 78 00:04:33.325 --> 00:04:37.925 pandemic, exile, because they are Abraham's children, they're heirs of 79 00:04:37.925 --> 00:04:39.925 God's promise of salvation. 80 00:04:41.325 --> 00:04:47.625 And that's why Isaiah tells them certainly Yahweh will comfort. 81 00:04:47.625 --> 00:04:48.325 Zion. 82 00:04:48.525 --> 00:04:49.225 Certainly 83 00:04:49.225 --> 00:04:52.825 he will comfort all their desolate places. 84 00:04:53.825 --> 00:04:56.625 What a promise to make in the midst of their adversity. 85 00:04:57.325 --> 00:04:59.625 Read the rest of the verse yourself. Promise 86 00:04:59.625 --> 00:05:02.525 after promise to Abraham's offspring his people. 87 00:05:02.525 --> 00:05:03.525 He promises them 88 00:05:03.525 --> 00:05:07.425 the very Garden of Eden quite apart from the law and their righteous 89 00:05:07.425 --> 00:05:10.825 pursuits within the law promises that God has not forsaken them 90 00:05:10.925 --> 00:05:14.725 promises, assuring them that the blessings God promised to Abraham and 91 00:05:14.725 --> 00:05:17.925 his offspring would most certainly be theirs. 92 00:05:20.125 --> 00:05:25.225 But as I said, Isaiah addresses, the people of Israel, the people of 93 00:05:25.325 --> 00:05:27.825 Zion, God chose Abraham. 94 00:05:29.225 --> 00:05:32.125 God chose Isaac not Ishmael. God chose Jacob 95 00:05:32.525 --> 00:05:33.325 not Esau. 96 00:05:33.825 --> 00:05:39.125 I'm from a nation and people on the outside of all that choosing by 97 00:05:39.125 --> 00:05:39.825 God. 98 00:05:41.025 --> 00:05:42.525 So, naturally I have a question. 99 00:05:43.225 --> 00:05:45.625 Is there any word from God left for me? 100 00:05:47.525 --> 00:05:48.125 More to the point 101 00:05:48.125 --> 00:05:50.825 is there any word from God left for you? 102 00:05:50.825 --> 00:05:54.125 Any crumb of blessing for us to hang onto? 103 00:05:54.125 --> 00:05:56.025 Or does God turn a blind eye to us 104 00:05:56.025 --> 00:05:58.525 because we are after all not his people. 105 00:06:00.425 --> 00:06:02.825 Well, that brings me to the second paragraph. 106 00:06:03.825 --> 00:06:08.225 Of Isaiah sermon and something interesting. Up to this point, Isaiah 107 00:06:08.225 --> 00:06:11.425 has been preaching to Israel about Yahweh. 108 00:06:13.025 --> 00:06:15.825 But right in the middle of the sermon, Isaiah stops talking about 109 00:06:15.825 --> 00:06:16.225 Yahweh. 110 00:06:16.225 --> 00:06:20.425 In fact, it looks like he stops talking completely. 111 00:06:21.525 --> 00:06:24.125 Unexpectedly, there is this change of speakers. 112 00:06:24.325 --> 00:06:28.225 It is as if Yahweh himself takes the pulpit. I take it as an 113 00:06:28.225 --> 00:06:32.125 indication of my question is so important that God decides to answer 114 00:06:32.125 --> 00:06:33.125 it himself. 115 00:06:34.225 --> 00:06:38.525 And so, he starts talking directly, not to Israel. 116 00:06:39.325 --> 00:06:44.325 But to people outside of Israel, the rest of the world, give attention 117 00:06:44.325 --> 00:06:49.825 to me, my people, and my nation, to me, lend an ear 118 00:06:49.825 --> 00:06:50.725 he begins. 119 00:06:52.325 --> 00:06:53.525 Now you see that's interesting. 120 00:06:53.525 --> 00:06:58.925 He uses a word usually reserved for non-Israelites, my nation and 121 00:06:58.925 --> 00:07:01.525 lumps us with my people. 122 00:07:03.325 --> 00:07:05.025 Now to hear the power of what he says 123 00:07:05.025 --> 00:07:10.225 next, I need to point out that when you see the word law and the word 124 00:07:10.225 --> 00:07:17.525 justice in verse 4 and the word judge in verse 5, don't think Mosaic 125 00:07:17.525 --> 00:07:22.625 legislation, court of law, condemnation, judgments uncertainty, 126 00:07:22.725 --> 00:07:24.725 according to how you behaved, anything like that. 127 00:07:24.725 --> 00:07:27.225 In this context, those translations 128 00:07:27.525 --> 00:07:30.625 drain God's message of its power. 129 00:07:32.025 --> 00:07:36.525 Instead of the word law, think all of God's revelation to his people. 130 00:07:36.525 --> 00:07:40.325 That's what Torah is after all. Instead of justice and judge think of 131 00:07:40.325 --> 00:07:44.125 words, like, deliverance as it is used in the Book of Judges. 132 00:07:44.325 --> 00:07:48.225 Salvation, forgiveness, not justice, but justification. 133 00:07:49.225 --> 00:07:53.325 As you can see in the sermon, God is not directing us back to Mosaic 134 00:07:53.325 --> 00:07:58.025 law and urging us to take that up too, but he is promising that 135 00:07:58.025 --> 00:08:02.325 righteousness and salvation are coming apart from the law. 136 00:08:03.025 --> 00:08:07.725 God himself says, my righteousness is near my salvation is come out and 137 00:08:07.725 --> 00:08:11.525 my arms, will deliver the people's. The coast lands 138 00:08:11.525 --> 00:08:15.325 hope for me and for my arm they wait. 139 00:08:16.125 --> 00:08:17.625 That's his redeeming arms 140 00:08:17.625 --> 00:08:19.525 not the accusing fist of the law. 141 00:08:19.625 --> 00:08:21.625 Not a re-imposition of Moses. 142 00:08:22.125 --> 00:08:27.925 Just like Yahweh did for Abraham our righteousness and our salvation 143 00:08:27.925 --> 00:08:32.025 is coming from God to us by way of a promise. 144 00:08:32.825 --> 00:08:34.925 It is not a matter of us pursuing it. 145 00:08:35.225 --> 00:08:39.825 It's just the other way around the way of righteousness flows in 146 00:08:39.825 --> 00:08:43.525 exactly the opposite direction of how we normally think it flows and 147 00:08:43.525 --> 00:08:45.325 how we normally operate in our lives. 148 00:08:45.325 --> 00:08:45.825 We don't earn 149 00:08:46.025 --> 00:08:47.425 it, it comes to us. 150 00:08:49.125 --> 00:08:54.625 Now, does this promise that Yahweh himself makes about salvation, 151 00:08:54.725 --> 00:08:56.025 really apply to us? 152 00:08:57.925 --> 00:08:59.425 Does it really hold true? 153 00:09:01.325 --> 00:09:04.525 Well, the Apostle Paul has no qualms about the answer. 154 00:09:04.525 --> 00:09:07.925 He's quite sure about God's righteousness. 155 00:09:08.425 --> 00:09:10.225 So he makes this famous promise. 156 00:09:11.325 --> 00:09:17.225 But now he says an underlying now, but now the righteousness of God 157 00:09:17.225 --> 00:09:21.625 has been manifested apart from the law, although the law and the 158 00:09:21.625 --> 00:09:24.025 prophets bear witness to it. 159 00:09:24.225 --> 00:09:28.225 The righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who 160 00:09:28.225 --> 00:09:29.525 believe. Then 161 00:09:29.525 --> 00:09:33.525 he says this. For there is no distinction 162 00:09:33.525 --> 00:09:39.225 holy cow for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God and 163 00:09:39.225 --> 00:09:40.925 are justified by grace 164 00:09:41.025 --> 00:09:45.925 as a gift through the Redemption that is in Christ, Jesus. 165 00:09:47.125 --> 00:09:50.225 The righteousness that God promised in the book of Isaiah, that he 166 00:09:50.225 --> 00:09:52.425 promised was coming has now come. 167 00:09:53.925 --> 00:09:55.225 And we hear it. 168 00:09:55.725 --> 00:10:01.425 We are all justified freely as a gift through the Redemption of Jesus. 169 00:10:03.825 --> 00:10:07.825 That word all it has to include you and me. 170 00:10:09.225 --> 00:10:12.825 God's promise is for us too and there it is 171 00:10:13.825 --> 00:10:18.025 you have just received God's promise of righteousness. 172 00:10:18.725 --> 00:10:25.125 It is come from the mouth of God himself to the pen of the preacher 173 00:10:25.125 --> 00:10:28.725 Paul through my poor lips to you. 174 00:10:29.725 --> 00:10:34.025 The righteousness of God, forgiveness and salvation wrapped up in the 175 00:10:34.025 --> 00:10:35.225 words of a promise. 176 00:10:36.525 --> 00:10:40.525 Just like, Isaiah promised, the children of Abraham and Sarah, you, 177 00:10:40.525 --> 00:10:41.925 and I get the same promise. 178 00:10:43.225 --> 00:10:47.125 This is salvation and righteousness, completely unhinged from Moses 179 00:10:47.125 --> 00:10:47.725 law. 180 00:10:47.725 --> 00:10:49.225 It is freely bestowed on us 181 00:10:49.325 --> 00:10:50.925 even now at this very moment. 182 00:10:50.925 --> 00:10:51.925 You just heard it. 183 00:10:52.725 --> 00:10:55.625 It is so amazing for me to think that at the end of the day, God's 184 00:10:55.625 --> 00:10:57.425 righteousness comes near to me 185 00:10:57.425 --> 00:11:01.725 and you personally, through the unclean lips of a humble preacher, 186 00:11:01.725 --> 00:11:06.125 proclaiming the good news of forgiveness and salvation in Jesus 187 00:11:06.125 --> 00:11:06.925 Christ. 188 00:11:07.725 --> 00:11:11.125 God brings his salvation through the gospel that I preach 189 00:11:12.325 --> 00:11:14.425 and the gospel that you preach. 190 00:11:15.725 --> 00:11:18.425 This is the greatest of miracles and mystery. 191 00:11:18.625 --> 00:11:21.925 When the preacher says, in the stead and by the command, of my Lord, 192 00:11:21.925 --> 00:11:22.725 Jesus Christ 193 00:11:22.725 --> 00:11:26.525 I forgive you all your sins, in the name of the Father and the Son and 194 00:11:26.525 --> 00:11:27.625 the Holy Spirit. 195 00:11:27.625 --> 00:11:29.225 There, you have God's salvation 196 00:11:29.325 --> 00:11:29.725 freely 197 00:11:29.725 --> 00:11:32.425 given. God declares you righteous right there. 198 00:11:33.025 --> 00:11:36.125 He has made you an unshakable promise and he will 199 00:11:36.125 --> 00:11:39.925 most certainly as Isaiah said, most certainly keep it. 200 00:11:41.025 --> 00:11:43.825 This gospel word is a mighty thing without it 201 00:11:43.825 --> 00:11:48.925 you will find only a silent judging condemning God. With it 202 00:11:48.925 --> 00:11:54.225 you will find Eternal Mercy in the midst of wrath life in the midst of 203 00:11:54.225 --> 00:11:54.625 death. 204 00:11:54.625 --> 00:11:58.425 A God who is for you not against you. 205 00:12:00.425 --> 00:12:03.125 Now, this is so great to hear that, in case you don't get it right 206 00:12:03.125 --> 00:12:03.625 now. 207 00:12:03.625 --> 00:12:06.125 You're going to get it again in just a few minutes at the Lord's 208 00:12:06.125 --> 00:12:06.625 table. 209 00:12:07.125 --> 00:12:08.625 God will keep his word. 210 00:12:09.425 --> 00:12:15.825 That's what he does for his Israel, even in death, even when the world 211 00:12:15.825 --> 00:12:19.725 ends as Isaiah's little sermon, says God's love for 212 00:12:19.725 --> 00:12:24.725 you will not. Isaiah, says this twice at the end of our text, at the 213 00:12:24.725 --> 00:12:25.825 end of his little sermon. 214 00:12:27.225 --> 00:12:33.325 My righteousness will be forever and my salvation to all generations. 215 00:12:34.425 --> 00:12:36.125 That's an amazing promise. 216 00:12:36.725 --> 00:12:37.225 Amen. 217 00:12:38.825 --> 00:12:41.525 Now may the peace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, which passes all 218 00:12:41.525 --> 00:12:44.825 understanding, keep your hearts and minds together in Christ Jesus. 219 00:12:45.025 --> 00:12:45.425 Amen.