WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.200 --> 00:00:04.700 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and from our Lord and 2 00:00:04.700 --> 00:00:06.100 Savior Jesus the Christ. 3 00:00:08.800 --> 00:00:11.500 Imagine if you will two friends. 4 00:00:12.700 --> 00:00:16.500 Friends who are striving working hard to provide for their families. 5 00:00:18.400 --> 00:00:24.500 Struggling in times of shortage and uncertainty, instability. 6 00:00:26.300 --> 00:00:31.500 One man turns to the other and bemoans the lack of security and the 7 00:00:31.500 --> 00:00:36.800 certainty from day-to-day and the other man responds. Chiming in yes, 8 00:00:36.800 --> 00:00:42.200 there are so many so many concerns so many threats to that stable life 9 00:00:42.200 --> 00:00:47.100 that we once thought we knew a controlled existence. 10 00:00:48.600 --> 00:00:52.400 Life seems to be such a struggle for so many people. 11 00:00:54.100 --> 00:01:00.900 The other friend turns and says well yeah and there's all these abuses of justice. 12 00:01:02.800 --> 00:01:04.500 The poor being mistreated. 13 00:01:05.700 --> 00:01:09.300 The powerful oppose and crush the weak. 14 00:01:10.700 --> 00:01:15.500 He goes on to gripe about sycophantic egotistical impious rulers who 15 00:01:15.500 --> 00:01:19.600 have positions of power and authority with little to no concern for 16 00:01:19.600 --> 00:01:22.100 those who should be benefiting from their rule, 17 00:01:22.900 --> 00:01:23.900 not suffering. 18 00:01:25.900 --> 00:01:27.500 And over all of this 19 00:01:29.700 --> 00:01:30.600 a shadow. 20 00:01:32.400 --> 00:01:34.800 A shadow of devastation. 21 00:01:36.400 --> 00:01:43.100 A lurking menace that affects every moment of their lives never certain 22 00:01:43.100 --> 00:01:46.700 when the next surge might come and sweep them all the way. 23 00:01:49.200 --> 00:01:51.700 Feelings of impotence. 24 00:01:53.500 --> 00:01:54.700 Lack of hope. 25 00:01:56.400 --> 00:01:58.000 Knowledge that in the end 26 00:01:58.000 --> 00:02:00.200 there's nothing much they can do. 27 00:02:03.200 --> 00:02:04.600 Maybe that sounds familiar. 28 00:02:06.200 --> 00:02:08.500 But I'm actually not talking about you or us. 29 00:02:10.100 --> 00:02:12.400 These are Judahite friends. 30 00:02:13.400 --> 00:02:17.800 Perhaps are inhabitants of Jerusalem. Judahites in the days of Isaiah 31 00:02:17.800 --> 00:02:20.000 God's prophet. Isaiah 32 00:02:20.000 --> 00:02:24.600 whose Ministry lasted from the last year of King Uzziah, 33 00:02:24.600 --> 00:02:27.500 okay where are my prophetic friends 34 00:02:27.500 --> 00:02:31.200 right you guys have seen the timeline Concordia Ann Arbor people 35 00:02:31.200 --> 00:02:36.800 you've lived the timeline imagine 7:40, BC. 36 00:02:39.200 --> 00:02:44.100 Isaiah who begins to prophesy in the last year of King Uzziah and then 37 00:02:44.100 --> 00:02:49.700 prophesizes through Jotham his son and into the good reign of King 38 00:02:49.700 --> 00:02:55.200 Hezekiah his son but then into the wicked and evil days of Manasseh 39 00:02:55.200 --> 00:02:57.000 one of the worst kings of all. 40 00:02:58.400 --> 00:03:03.300 Ministry of 50 + years I can't imagine it. 41 00:03:03.300 --> 00:03:09.000 I'm in year 20 of mine and things have gone pretty well. 50 plus years. 42 00:03:09.800 --> 00:03:13.700 Of all that Isaiah had to do and say to these people. 43 00:03:15.300 --> 00:03:18.600 In these circumstances of our two Judahite friends. 44 00:03:21.800 --> 00:03:25.100 Life is a mess really a mess. 45 00:03:25.100 --> 00:03:28.300 Especially for the common Judahite. 46 00:03:30.300 --> 00:03:33.800 Now to be sure they made a mess of their own lives in their 47 00:03:33.800 --> 00:03:37.300 sin and their continual rebellion against their creator. 48 00:03:39.300 --> 00:03:40.700 Their idolatry 49 00:03:41.300 --> 00:03:46.300 chasing after the gods of the peoples of the land and whom and whose 50 00:03:46.300 --> 00:03:51.600 land they had come to live land now their own but 51 00:03:52.500 --> 00:03:53.200 but not for long. 52 00:03:55.200 --> 00:03:59.400 And there Kings who were supposed to watch over them Shepherd them 53 00:03:59.400 --> 00:04:04.300 protect them. Their kings made a mess of their lives as they neglected 54 00:04:04.300 --> 00:04:09.300 their kingly duties of leading the people in mishpat tzedek in 55 00:04:09.300 --> 00:04:10.800 justice and righteousness. 56 00:04:10.800 --> 00:04:13.500 the things the King was supposed to do. 57 00:04:15.500 --> 00:04:20.000 Instead the kings went their own ways doing their own things rebellion 58 00:04:20.000 --> 00:04:21.600 in the sinful ways. 59 00:04:23.100 --> 00:04:27.900 And they led the people down those same paths those ways instead of 60 00:04:27.900 --> 00:04:29.100 the way of the Lord. 61 00:04:32.300 --> 00:04:35.600 And then there's the Assyrian War Machine, 62 00:04:37.600 --> 00:04:38.600 powerful, 63 00:04:39.600 --> 00:04:45.700 monstrous, devastating and always hovering in the background there to the 64 00:04:45.700 --> 00:04:47.800 North there to the East coming. 65 00:04:48.900 --> 00:04:50.200 Always threatening. 66 00:04:52.000 --> 00:04:56.100 As you know in 722 they came and they came with a vengeance and they 67 00:04:56.100 --> 00:05:01.100 disrupted the lives of all of the Israelites. 68 00:05:02.300 --> 00:05:07.300 Besieging the city conquering it exporting people importing foreigners 69 00:05:07.300 --> 00:05:11.300 and not leaving Judah unscathed by any means. 70 00:05:13.100 --> 00:05:18.400 In the years that followed they came again and again and again. 71 00:05:20.700 --> 00:05:23.100 And now there threating Judah and Jerusalem. 72 00:05:24.700 --> 00:05:30.200 Threating to do the exact same thing, but by a miraculous intervention of 73 00:05:30.200 --> 00:05:31.600 the Lord, 701. 74 00:05:33.800 --> 00:05:38.200 The Lord sends them packing at least for now. 75 00:05:40.500 --> 00:05:42.600 But that menace is still back there. 76 00:05:43.900 --> 00:05:51.700 Hovering over always there wondering when the next surge will come. 77 00:05:53.200 --> 00:05:55.900 And there is the Egyptians to the South are they're always there 78 00:05:55.900 --> 00:05:57.300 they want a piece of Judah. 79 00:05:58.900 --> 00:06:02.400 And then we know about that threat that new threat on the horizon. 80 00:06:04.200 --> 00:06:05.200 That threat at 81 00:06:06.600 --> 00:06:10.800 the southern end of the land between the rivers the Chaldeans the 82 00:06:10.800 --> 00:06:16.000 Babylonians hadn't God said to Hezekiah through Isaiah. 83 00:06:16.000 --> 00:06:21.700 Everything stored up in Jerusalem would end up there and Babylon. 84 00:06:21.700 --> 00:06:26.900 Hadn't he said to Isaiah that this would surely come to pass and there 85 00:06:26.900 --> 00:06:31.800 would be nothing left? Hadn't Isaiah said to Hezekiah that even the 86 00:06:31.800 --> 00:06:35.800 royal princes would end up as eunuchs in the Palace of the king of 87 00:06:35.800 --> 00:06:37.800 Babylon serving him? 88 00:06:40.600 --> 00:06:45.500 But for these Judahites there's an exile on the horizon though, it still 89 00:06:45.500 --> 00:06:48.200 and unstable and uncertain century away. 90 00:06:51.100 --> 00:06:54.200 Life is a mess indeed. 91 00:06:58.100 --> 00:07:03.900 But into this mess God sends his prophet with a message of Hope. 92 00:07:05.400 --> 00:07:10.400 A message of rescue a message of Salvation probably a century before 93 00:07:10.400 --> 00:07:14.700 the Exile even take place. Nearly two centuries before the events in 94 00:07:14.700 --> 00:07:20.200 our Old Testament text for the day. God speaks through Isaiah to give 95 00:07:20.200 --> 00:07:22.500 hope to his people who are in distress. 96 00:07:25.100 --> 00:07:30.300 A century before the fall of Jerusalem to Nebuchadnezzar the Babylonian 97 00:07:30.300 --> 00:07:35.800 God is at work to let his people know that he himself is truly the one 98 00:07:35.800 --> 00:07:41.900 in charge of all things. Even when their situation doesn't look like it. 99 00:07:41.900 --> 00:07:46.300 When things seem to be against them and evil is all around them as we 100 00:07:46.300 --> 00:07:50.100 heard powerfully on Wednesday God's fingerprint 101 00:07:51.300 --> 00:07:52.200 is there. 102 00:07:54.300 --> 00:07:58.900 Because he is God and there is no other he forms the light he creates the 103 00:07:58.900 --> 00:07:59.400 darkness. 104 00:07:59.400 --> 00:08:02.200 He marks he makes well-being. 105 00:08:02.200 --> 00:08:04.500 He creates calamity. 106 00:08:04.500 --> 00:08:07.200 He is the Lord who does these things. 107 00:08:08.900 --> 00:08:13.500 Even when it doesn't seem like it this Lord the Lord is in control. 108 00:08:15.300 --> 00:08:19.000 So much so that even before the people of Judah and Jerusalem ever 109 00:08:19.000 --> 00:08:20.900 went into captivity or Exile. 110 00:08:20.900 --> 00:08:23.500 He announces ahead of time to them. 111 00:08:23.500 --> 00:08:28.500 Just how he is going to bring about their release. Release from the 112 00:08:28.500 --> 00:08:29.000 captivity 113 00:08:29.000 --> 00:08:31.500 they haven't experienced yet. 114 00:08:33.100 --> 00:08:36.100 Speaking in the 8th Century BC. 115 00:08:36.100 --> 00:08:39.700 He tells them how he's going to rescue them in the 116 00:08:39.799 --> 00:08:41.299 6th century. 117 00:08:46.300 --> 00:08:47.800 Here, it's 2020. 118 00:08:49.200 --> 00:08:51.500 October it's baseball season. 119 00:08:53.100 --> 00:08:57.800 Have you ever seen a batter step up to the plate take their bat and 120 00:08:57.800 --> 00:08:59.300 they went over to left field. 121 00:09:01.500 --> 00:09:02.800 Calling their shot. 122 00:09:04.300 --> 00:09:07.100 Babe Ruth might have done this in 1932 123 00:09:07.100 --> 00:09:09.700 there's a lot of debate about if that's what he was actually doing, but 124 00:09:09.700 --> 00:09:11.100 it certainly happens in the movies. 125 00:09:11.100 --> 00:09:15.400 So you've probably seen it. The batter steps up points the bat that's 126 00:09:15.400 --> 00:09:16.400 where the ball is going. 127 00:09:17.700 --> 00:09:21.900 It hasn't happened yet, but I assure you it's going to happen. 128 00:09:21.900 --> 00:09:24.000 That's where it's going bring it on. 129 00:09:26.500 --> 00:09:28.700 8th Century Israel. 130 00:09:31.000 --> 00:09:32.200 God's calling it. 131 00:09:33.600 --> 00:09:36.300 Now when a batter calls it there's no guarantee. 132 00:09:37.400 --> 00:09:39.800 He might he might not hit the ball out of the park. 133 00:09:41.200 --> 00:09:42.700 When God calls it. 134 00:09:43.900 --> 00:09:49.200 It's an absolute and sure thing because he's God and there is no other 135 00:09:49.200 --> 00:09:52.000 he forms the light he creates the darkness. 136 00:09:52.000 --> 00:09:55.000 He makes well-being and creates calamity. 137 00:09:55.000 --> 00:09:58.800 He is the Lord who does all these things. 138 00:10:03.100 --> 00:10:04.900 So starting in Isaiah 40. 139 00:10:06.700 --> 00:10:12.900 God is about the business of calling it, if you will. Calling it through 140 00:10:12.900 --> 00:10:15.700 his prophet, Isaiah and speaking comfort. 141 00:10:17.700 --> 00:10:23.200 Comfort to his Exiles who haven't even been exiled yet. 142 00:10:24.800 --> 00:10:29.700 Telling them ahead of time how he's going to rescue and save them. 143 00:10:31.500 --> 00:10:34.800 In chapter 41 twice without speaking his name. 144 00:10:34.800 --> 00:10:37.700 He talks about the one he's stirring up in the he's the one he's 145 00:10:37.700 --> 00:10:42.200 stirring up in the north and finally in 44-28 just before today's 146 00:10:42.200 --> 00:10:42.700 text. 147 00:10:42.700 --> 00:10:48.300 He now knows this person who he's stirring up to be his Shepherd. 148 00:10:50.300 --> 00:10:51.100 Cyrus. 149 00:10:53.800 --> 00:11:06.400 Cyrus who won't be alive for two hundred more years. Cyrus who nobody will know by name until then. He calls his name Cyrus. And he calls 150 00:11:06.400 --> 00:11:11.800 him his Shepherd who's going to be the shepherd who will do God's 151 00:11:11.800 --> 00:11:13.600 things and fulfilling God's purpose. 152 00:11:15.200 --> 00:11:19.800 And then in the text that we just heard read Isaiah 45 God speaks 153 00:11:19.800 --> 00:11:25.400 through Isaiah even more fully calling this Cyrus by name. And even 154 00:11:25.400 --> 00:11:27.400 calling him his anointed it. 155 00:11:27.400 --> 00:11:30.000 This Judahite now 156 00:11:30.000 --> 00:11:32.700 we're talkin Shepherd anointed. 157 00:11:32.700 --> 00:11:34.800 These are the terms of the Davidic monarchy 158 00:11:34.800 --> 00:11:37.200 this is how God is going to save and rescue. 159 00:11:39.900 --> 00:11:41.900 When you listen to the text you find out. 160 00:11:41.900 --> 00:11:46.300 No, this is not how God is going to save and rescue. 161 00:11:47.500 --> 00:11:48.200 Not right now. 162 00:11:51.100 --> 00:11:54.100 This guy doesn't even know the Lord. 163 00:11:55.100 --> 00:11:56.800 He's not a Davidic king. 164 00:12:01.100 --> 00:12:01.900 What really God 165 00:12:01.900 --> 00:12:02.600 how is this possible? 166 00:12:04.800 --> 00:12:08.200 How are we going to work for someone who doesn't even know your name? 167 00:12:09.700 --> 00:12:13.700 Imagine being one of those Judahite friends to completely confused. 168 00:12:13.700 --> 00:12:14.600 First 169 00:12:14.600 --> 00:12:15.600 we have to go into exile. 170 00:12:17.700 --> 00:12:21.800 And then you're going to raise a a deliver a Shepherd an anointed 171 00:12:21.800 --> 00:12:23.900 one for us, but he's not going to know who you are. 172 00:12:23.900 --> 00:12:24.900 How can this be? 173 00:12:28.000 --> 00:12:33.400 It can be because of who God is he is God and there is no other he's 174 00:12:33.400 --> 00:12:34.800 the one doing these things. 175 00:12:34.800 --> 00:12:41.100 He is the one providing salvation in his own way in the way that he 176 00:12:41.100 --> 00:12:42.800 himself determines. 177 00:12:43.800 --> 00:12:44.800 But it's definitely him. 178 00:12:45.800 --> 00:12:48.700 God who is doing this and no other. 179 00:12:50.700 --> 00:12:53.100 Yes, he's working through human agency. 180 00:12:53.100 --> 00:12:55.300 He often does that doesn't he? 181 00:12:55.300 --> 00:12:57.300 He's working through Cyrus. 182 00:12:57.300 --> 00:13:01.800 But everything Cyrus will do God calls ahead of time. 183 00:13:01.800 --> 00:13:06.500 There is no doubt when Cyrus comes and does these things that he's 184 00:13:06.500 --> 00:13:09.600 doing them because God has said so. 185 00:13:11.400 --> 00:13:15.800 Did you take a look at that text even just in the English count the 186 00:13:15.800 --> 00:13:18.100 first person pronouns? 187 00:13:19.300 --> 00:13:25.800 Something like 13 times in 7 versus God says this is what I will do 188 00:13:25.800 --> 00:13:27.900 because I am God. 189 00:13:27.900 --> 00:13:30.400 It really couldn't be more emphatic. 190 00:13:35.300 --> 00:13:36.700 Our Judahite friends 191 00:13:39.100 --> 00:13:40.000 they're distraught, 192 00:13:41.600 --> 00:13:42.700 they're dismayed 193 00:13:44.600 --> 00:13:46.000 facing all sorts of problems. 194 00:13:46.000 --> 00:13:48.400 They've all sorts of fears. 195 00:13:48.400 --> 00:13:53.400 They're dealing with doubts galore and the worst hasn't even come yet. 196 00:13:56.900 --> 00:14:01.100 God does not abandon his people to their doubts and fears their 197 00:14:01.100 --> 00:14:01.800 problems 198 00:14:01.800 --> 00:14:08.000 their troubles. No, God Comforts them with his sure promises. 199 00:14:08.000 --> 00:14:10.500 Even if salvation is going to be 200 00:14:10.700 --> 00:14:13.500 strange in their eyes and distant in their minds. 201 00:14:14.500 --> 00:14:19.600 God speaks through his Prophet to give his people hope. 202 00:14:24.300 --> 00:14:25.500 It's the same for you, 203 00:14:27.700 --> 00:14:28.400 for me. 204 00:14:30.500 --> 00:14:35.400 For us today, my opening scenario could have been you could have been 205 00:14:35.400 --> 00:14:37.900 a conversation among friends 206 00:14:37.900 --> 00:14:38.700 today. 207 00:14:38.700 --> 00:14:42.500 We're working hard to provide for our family is there are so many 208 00:14:42.500 --> 00:14:44.200 people struggling there are shortages. 209 00:14:44.200 --> 00:14:47.000 There are uncertainties there are instabilities. 210 00:14:47.000 --> 00:14:49.700 There's a lack of certainty from day-to-day. 211 00:14:49.700 --> 00:14:51.200 Even when just a year ago 212 00:14:51.200 --> 00:14:56.700 we thought we had it all managed. Life seems like such a struggle for 213 00:14:56.700 --> 00:14:57.700 so many people. 214 00:14:59.600 --> 00:15:05.900 And there are abuses of justice the poor are mistreated powerful people 215 00:15:05.900 --> 00:15:07.500 oppress weaker ones. 216 00:15:07.500 --> 00:15:12.900 There are plenty of sycophantic egotistical impious rulers in our day. 217 00:15:16.200 --> 00:15:20.500 Rather than benefiting those who are under their rule, but causing 218 00:15:20.500 --> 00:15:21.000 suffering. 219 00:15:23.000 --> 00:15:28.700 Over all of this the shadow of devastation the lurking menace 220 00:15:28.700 --> 00:15:33.500 affecting everyone of our lives never certain when the next surge might 221 00:15:33.500 --> 00:15:37.000 come and sweep us all the way to shadow of Covid. 222 00:15:41.800 --> 00:15:42.700 Do you feel 223 00:15:43.900 --> 00:15:44.800 depression? 224 00:15:47.000 --> 00:15:49.500 Are you tired and weary? 225 00:15:51.500 --> 00:15:53.800 Hope is there 226 00:15:55.400 --> 00:15:56.000 for you. 227 00:15:57.500 --> 00:15:58.700 Fear friends 228 00:16:00.000 --> 00:16:02.600 grow weary and troubled world. 229 00:16:05.200 --> 00:16:07.000 Our hope is the same 230 00:16:07.000 --> 00:16:13.600 hope of the 8th Century Judahite. Our hope is in a God who does unexpected 231 00:16:13.600 --> 00:16:19.400 things in unexpected ways. God, who is God and there is no other God 232 00:16:19.400 --> 00:16:25.600 who has raised up his anointed. The anointed this time though 233 00:16:25.600 --> 00:16:29.100 this anointed didn't look like anything special in his own day. 234 00:16:30.700 --> 00:16:34.300 God who is breaking the bonds of sin and the grave. 235 00:16:35.700 --> 00:16:39.200 And it wasn't so impressive on the day when he died. 236 00:16:41.300 --> 00:16:44.000 Breaking those bonds through what appeared to be weakness. 237 00:16:45.700 --> 00:16:46.400 Death. 238 00:16:48.500 --> 00:16:52.200 A righteous suffering servant if you will. 239 00:16:53.200 --> 00:16:58.400 God who has burst the bars and the gates of Hell shoved aside the stone 240 00:16:58.400 --> 00:17:03.000 and come forth alive to live and Reign and give life Everlasting. 241 00:17:03.000 --> 00:17:04.599 Jesus. 242 00:17:06.599 --> 00:17:08.800 Jesus the anointed. 243 00:17:10.700 --> 00:17:15.800 The anointed one the shepherd who far surpasses 6th Century Cyrus 244 00:17:15.800 --> 00:17:21.200 whose salvation far surpasses what God worked in that limited way in 245 00:17:21.200 --> 00:17:23.000 those days. Jesus. 246 00:17:24.700 --> 00:17:27.200 In Jesus and in Jesus alone 247 00:17:27.200 --> 00:17:28.600 there is hope for today. 248 00:17:28.600 --> 00:17:30.400 Hope for you. 249 00:17:30.400 --> 00:17:34.600 Hope for me. Hope for tomorrow for all eternity. 250 00:17:36.800 --> 00:17:40.100 To face these dark days in the midst of our troubles. 251 00:17:41.500 --> 00:17:47.400 What may seem like an uncertain future God gives you hope. 252 00:17:50.300 --> 00:17:54.300 God gives you courage to endure these days. 253 00:17:55.900 --> 00:18:01.700 Do the work of his Shepherd his Anointed the Savior sent to save his 254 00:18:01.700 --> 00:18:07.400 Son Jesus Christ crucified and risen who alone is God who alone 255 00:18:07.400 --> 00:18:09.600 these things. 256 00:18:13.300 --> 00:18:15.100 God has called it. 257 00:18:16.700 --> 00:18:18.100 He has done it. 258 00:18:19.400 --> 00:18:22.100 He will bring it to completion on the last day. 259 00:18:23.900 --> 00:18:29.900 May God grant you courage and hope to endure all of our days until that 260 00:18:29.900 --> 00:18:33.500 final day for Christ's sake. Amen. 261 00:18:35.300 --> 00:18:38.300 Now may the peace of God which passes all understanding keep our 262 00:18:38.300 --> 00:18:42.600 hearts and minds in this Christ Jesus until life Everlasting. 263 00:18:43.900 --> 00:18:44.500 Amen.