Isaiah. Isaiah 48. Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God. ~ Leviticus 20:7

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1 Isaiah Be Ye Holy Isaiah 48 P ractically we act as if holiness is a call to being isolated from the world, as being something along the line of living like the Amish or other isolated groups. Being holy means giving up everything that is fun or makes us happy. Instead we need to see holiness as a way to fulfillment, joy and true contentment. Holiness means living in the reality of our relationship with God. Living a holy life means being a blessing to those around us. Spurgeon gives an example when he said: Husbands should try to make home happy and holy. It is an ill bird that fouls his own nest a bad man who makes his home wretched. Our house ought to be a little church, with Holiness to the Lord over the door; but it ought never to be a prison, where there is plenty of rule and order, but little love and no pleasure. Married life is not all sugar, but grace in the heart will keep away most of the sours. Godliness and love can make a man, like a bird in a hedge, sing among thorns and briers, and set others a-singing too. It should be the husband s pleasure to please his wife, and the wife s care to care for her husband. He is kind to himself who is kind to his wife. 1 Israel had experienced the blessings of holiness but apparently didn t believe in them. And sometimes it seems we too forget the joy which comes from living holy lives. So scripture calls us to be holy because this is how we are truly blessed. It is therefore holiness we consider this morning. I Introduction II The Call to Holiness Verses 1-8 III The Promise of Deliverance Verses 9-15 IV The Consequence of Evil Verses V Conclusion This morning we ll look at the final section of the three-chapter prophecy regarding Judah and the Babylonian captivity. The first section, Chapter 46, focused on the gods. The second, Chapter 47, Babylon. And this third, deliverance from Babylon. What makes all of this so interesting is what we previously quoted from Dr. McGee. The time given to this subject (Babylon) is remarkable in view of the fact that Babylon at this time was a very small and insignificant kingdom. It was almost a century before it would become a world power. 2 Consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am the LORD your God. ~ Leviticus 20:7 1 McClure, editor, J. B., Pearls from Many Seas, The Master Christian Library, AGES Software, Albany, OR, Version McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee, Vol. 3, Isaiah, Thomas Nelson Inc., Nashville, TN P. 299.

2 But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: Be holy, because I am holy. ~ 1 Peter 1:15 Introduction: The call to holiness is nothing new. This has been God s demand on a fallen humanity from the Fall onwards. But, the call is not praise the Lord a call to perfection. The NIV Dictionary says of the word HOLINESS, HOLY Usually translations of words derived from a Hebrew root qadash and Greek hag-. The basic meaning of qadash is separateness, withdrawal. Greek hag-is an equivalent of qadash, and its history is similar. 3 The New International Encyclopedia of Bible Words states: The OT concept of holiness. The root of the words translated holy and holiness is qadas. The verb means to be consecrated, to be dedicated, to be holy. Anything that is holy is set apart. It is removed from the realm of the common and moved to the sphere of the sacred. The NT concept of holiness. Three main words in Greek culture were associated with the idea of the holy. Hieros reflected the OT emphasis on the ritually holy. This word is rarely used in the NT (found only twice 1 Co 9:13; 2 Ti 3:15). Hagios reflected the law s expression of the divine will and human obligation to God. It had a strong moral overtone. It is this word that is the dominant one in the NT. Hosios reflected piety or devoutness. It is used only eight times in the NT Ac 2:27; 13:34,35; 1 Ti 2:8; Tit 1:8; Heb 7:26; Rev 15:4; 16:5 four of them in quotations from the OT. In addition, hosiotes is used twice in the NT (Lk 1:75; Eph 4:24), and osme is used once (1 Th 2:10). In the NT the most frequent use of holy is in the designation of God s Spirit as the Holy Spirit. It is also used often in reference to believers as God s saints. In the Gospels and Acts holy may have either a ritual or a moral emphasis, just as qadas words do in the OT. It is in the NT, however, that we see a dramatic shift in the concept of the nature of practical holiness. 4 I ll have more to say on this later. First, we ll consider the text and next how the call to Holiness affects our life. So being holy is God s desire for Israel. The people were called to be a holy people, and it is the lack of holiness, that is, true dedication to God and being separated to Him, which lies behind all the suffering they have gone through. Verses 1-2: While this prophecy is directed specifically towards Judah, it isn t limited in her. It also speaks to Israel as a whole. For this reason I ll use the names interchangeably. The problem identified here is Judah s lack of holiness. Isaiah identifies the consequences from her sin. But there is also a message of hope. Judah s sin was demonstrated by her willingness to depend on anything rather than God. She depended on alliances with her enemies, with idols, an her own strength. All of this boils down to idolatry in one form or another. What is worse, says the prophet, is Judah constantly represents herself as a godly people. She claims His name and makes vows in it. But all the time she is being pragmatic, lying through her teeth. not seeing the problem. 3 Douglas, J. D. and Merrill C. Tenney, editors, NIV Bible Dictionary, Zondervan Interactive Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, Richards, Lawrence O., New International Encyclopedia of Bible Words, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1991 ) 344(

3 This is a problem we must be concerned with. By presenting ourselves as Christians, we identify ourselves as Christ s followers. Therefore the question which must be asked is: Do our words, our walk, our involvements, etc., reflect the truth of this claim? Verses 3-5: And Judah s problem, calling herself a child of God and rejecting Him at the same time, continued into Jesus day. The people were proud of their roots and heritage, but didn t let the past interfere with their view of the present. Jesus came up against this in a conversation religious leaders. I know you are Abraham s descendants. Yet you are ready to kill me, because you have no room for my word. I am telling you what I have seen in the Father s presence, and you do what you have heard from your father. Abraham is our father, they answered. If you were Abraham s children, said Jesus, then you would do the things Abraham did. As it is, you are determined to kill me, a man who has told you the truth that I heard from God. Abraham did not do such things. You are doing the things your own father does. We are not illegitimate children, they protested. The only Father we have is God himself. Jesus said to them, If God were your Father, you would love me, for I came from God and now am here. I have not come on my own; but he sent me. (John 8:37-42). God calls Judah stubborn. The reason given here is because long ago He had warned her of the consequences of being disobedient to Him. The way God warned her was by explaining His expectations and the consequences of failing to meet them. And one reason He did this was so the people wouldn t have any excuse for rebellion. Also, by warning them in advance, they wouldn t be able to give credit to idols for God s accomplishments. Buksbazen notes, speaking of the things of long ago: From all that is said in this chapter the former things appear to be all the events since the exodus from Egypt, including the deliverance of Jerusalem from Sennacherib 5 Verses 6-8: Now it is time for some new information. The new things include the future release of Israel/Judah from captivity. The prophecy involves both Judah and the world. Of course it also involves Cyrus, an anointed one, a messiah. But most importantly, it promises the coming of God s true Servant, the Messiah. While all this has been foreshadowed, here God speaks more clearly than previously. Verses 9-11: There are two kinds of evil in the sense of evil done by God s children, and the evil done by the rest of the world. There is a difference in how God handles these differences. This can be seen in these verses. God is patient with His own, wanting to bring them out of sin and back to Him. The pain God puts Judah through He calls refining because it is intended to purify them. This is for His glory. How is that? Because He shows He can keep His people, even through the 5 Buksbazen, Victor, The Prophet Isaiah, In Two Volumes, The Spearhead Press, Collingswood, NJ, 1971, p ) 345(

4 times they may not want to be kept. Additionally, if Judah is overthrown, then the heathen nations will give their idols credit. God acts to protect His people, but even more He acts to lift up His own name. Verses 12-15: Once again God reminds Judah of what she has forgotten. He is the Creator. He holds all things in His hand, be those things the past or the future. Why would she turn anywhere other than Him? He is calling the people to wake up and leave their idols behind, turning once more to Him and to restoration. And so God has called into Judah s future. He has called Cyrus. And Cyrus will come. Deliverance will come deliverance from Babylon, deliverance from sin. Verses 16-19: Verse 16 is difficult because it isn t clear who s speaking. Bukbazen notes this when he says: There is a difference of opinion among commentators as to the identify of the speaker. Delitzsch thinks that the speaker is the servant of the Lord. Others are of the opinion that the prophet is referring to himself. Both interpretations are not without difficulties. If it is the servant of the Lord who speaks, why is he not mentioned directly as he is in other servant prophecies? On the other hand, if it is the prophet who speaks of himself, the abruptness of the transition is most surprising. If it is the prophet who speaks, the line should reade: and now the Lord God sent me with his spirit. In all probability the speaker is the servant of the Lord. 6 The sins of God s children grieve Him, be we talking about Israel or ourselves. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption (Ephesians 4:30). The basic problem with believers is identified here. God continues to teach and provide opportunities for His children to learn His will. By carrying out His will we find peace and contentment. For Judah, with obedience could come prosperity for themselves and their posterity. They would never cut off, nor will they be. I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless as the stars of the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore (Jeremiah 33:22). For us, with obedience comes spiritual maturity and an ever deepening relationship with the Father. This in turn brings peace and contentment. Verses 20-22: The bottom line for God s children is they must flee evil. When the opportunity presented itself, the Jews where to flee Babylon and return home. If the lost are to be restored they must flee from evil and turn to God. If the saved are to live righteously, they are to flee sin and depend on God. So, if you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don t fall! No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let 6 Ibid, p ) 346(

5 you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it. (1 Corinthians 10:12-13). And so, as he did in the past God will once again has freed his people from their imprisonment. The reference here seems to look back to the Exodus and God s provision for the needs of the people. Then Moses raised his arm and struck the rock twice with his staff. Water gushed out, and the community and their livestock drank (Numbers 20:11). So the people will be saved. But being part of the nation doesn t eliminate personal responsibility. There will be those who reject God s call and for them there will be no peace. There is no peace for the wicked either in this life or the next. Blessed are those who wash their robes, that they may have the right to the tree of life and may go through the gates into the city. Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood (Revelation 22:14). Oswalt concludes this section by noting God had promised that those who would listen to his admonitions would have peace like a river, and he had declared that he would free his people from Babylon, but those promises should offer no comfort at all to those who showed by their wickedness that they had no intention of c omitting their way to God. In the same way, we may be certain that God will not abandon his church; he will preserve it and keep it in all events. But that is not a warrant for individual Christians to believe that they can live ungodly lives secure in their own election. 7 which is why we are called to live holy lives. Conclusion: let s go back to Richards words from the New International Encyclopedia of Bible Words. The holy life. In the OT, holiness is expressed in strict separation. The clean were not permitted to come in contact with the unclean. Israel had to fiercely guard its differences from the surrounding nations. Cultic commitments were, in part, designed to underline the uniqueness of Israel as a people set apart from all others to God. The NT also has an emphasis on separation. But Christians do not live in a separate nation. The church is scattered as tiny communities planted in every kind of human society. Paul wrote to Corinth: I have written you in my letter not to associate with sexually immoral people not at all meaning the people of this world who are immoral, or the greedy and swindlers, or idolaters. In that case you would have to leave this world (1 Co 5:9-10). Rather than viewing separation as isolation, as lack of contact between the clean and the unclean, the sacred and the common, the NT presents a dynamic concept of holiness as moral purity expressed in contact with the common and profane! Believers are to separate themselves from evil while living among people who remain uncommitted to the divine standards. 8 God calls us to live a holy life, for this is a life which brings peace and contentment. God empowers us to live a holy life, a life separated and devoted to Him, to serving Him in a 7 Oswalt, John N., The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1-39, William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI, 1986, p Richards ) 347(

6 fallen world. It is only then we can find fulfillment in part until we find complete fulfillment in His presence. He who breathes forth this steady desire after God s holiness is upright, reconciled and humble; he is truly in peace of conscience, even when most full of sacred contrition. He has no infinite standard of goodness; for, although what he dimly imagines as perfection is only a limited idea of his own mind, it is both above what he has yet reached and rises the moment he seems about to reach it. This state of things is the exact reverse of self-righteousness, which is stagnation. ~ F. W. Newman 9 9 McClure ) 348(

7 Isaiah Be Ye Holy Isaiah 48 I Introduction II The Call to Holiness Verses 1-8 III The Promise of Deliverance Verses 9-15 IV The Consequence of Evil Verses V Conclusion I Introduction: (Leviticus 20:7; 1 Peter 1:15) II The Call to Holiness: Verses 1-2: Verses 3-5: (John 8:37-42) Verses 6-8:

8 III the Promise of Deliverance: Verses 9-11: Verses 12-15: IV The Consequence of Sin: Verses 16-19: (Ephesians 4:30; Jeremiah 33:22) Verses 20-22: (1 Corinthians 10:12-13; Numbers 20:11; Revelation 22:14) V Conclusion: Personal Application: Consider examples of practical holiness, were we are practicing it and where we need to. Prayer for the Week: Lord help me desire to be holy and to. In Christ s name, amen.