Isaiah The Court is in Session Isaiah 41

Transcription

1 Isaiah The Court is in Session Isaiah 41 W ell, we survived another election. And, there are any number of conclusions that can be drawn from the results. But one thing is sure, all of us will find things to be discouraged about, whether it is with the results themselves, or the long-term effects of our votes. But, as we talked about last week, our security isn t dependent on who s in office, how the stock market is doing, the state of social security or Medicare, it is dependent on the Lord and our relationship to Him. If I were going to list three important teachings found in Isaiah, the first would obviously be the clear message of the coming Messiah and the salvation He provides. This includes eternal salvation, escaping the penalty of sin and second, salvation found in the promise of a restored Israel and David s throne, and of course eventually a new heaven and a new earth. And third, God is sovereign. As believers we are already living out the reality of the first truth. We already have eternal life. I put this in human terms because you are weak in your natural selves. Just as you used to offer the parts of your body in slavery to impurity and to ever-increasing wickedness, so now offer them in slavery to righteousness leading to holiness. When you were slaves to sin, you were free from the control of righteousness. What benefit did you reap at that time from the things you are now ashamed of? Those things result in death! But now that you have been set free from sin and have become slaves to God, the benefit you reap leads to holiness, and the result is eternal life. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 6:19-23). As for the second, the fulfillment of prophecy; how and when, is in God s hands, His timing. But do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day. The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance (2 Peter 3:8). But for the third, as we live in the reality of God s sovereignty we will be calm and at peace in the midst of the chaos of this world. We experience this as we mature and it is our testimony to those needing the gift of God s salvation and His peace. Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything,

2 by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:4-7). I Introduction II God is Over the Nations Verses 1-9 III God is Savior of Israel Verses IV God is Above Idols Verses V Conclusion Which now brings us to reinforcement to the third truth. God is sovereign and this isn t limited to the needs of Israel, because as He directs the world, it is a promise of security for us too. Verses 1-9: God calls the nations idols into the court to hear Him speak. Grogan notes: It is customary for most commentators now to dub this the beginning of a trial-speech, in which as in 1:2 the scene is a courtroom. We may accept this, of course, if we see it as a purely rhetorical device. In fact, in his dealings with men, God sustains a multiplicity of legal roles; for he is plaintiff, injured party, judge, law-giver, and creator, each role finding its place within his many-sided relationship with sinful men. 1 The god s of the nations are given an opportunity to testify. They can demonstrate they can compete with God. Right! But God is sovereign over all, all nations. He is the one who stirs them up to carry out His will. Here the one from the east is Cyrus the Great, king of Persia ( B.C.), who conquered Babylon in 539 (see 13:17 and note) and issued the decree allowing the Jews to return to Jerusalem (see Ezr 1:1-4; 6:3-5). 2 I suspect when hearing about another ruler, the Judeans thought about Assyria, Egypt, and Babylon. Yet God tells them He s the one who will lift Cyrus up and will use him to His own ends. In other words, whoever is in power is finally answerable to God, no matter how they perceive their own power. In the first year of Cyrus king of Persia, in order to fulfill the word of the LORD spoken by Jeremiah, the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia to make a proclamation throughout his realm and to put it in writing: This is what Cyrus king of Persia says: The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah. Anyone of his people among you may his God be with him, and let him go up to Jerusalem in Judah and build the temple of the LORD, the God of Israel, the God who is in Jerusalem. And the people of any place where survivors may now be living are to provide him with silver and gold, with goods and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem. (Ezra 1:1-4). 1 Grogan, Geoffrey W., The Expositor s Bible Commentary, Isaiah, Zondervan Interactive Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, NIV Study Bible Notes, Zondervan Interactive Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1999 ) 296(

3 We probably should just take a moment to describe Cyrus as noted in the NIV Dictionary. CYRUS (Heb. koresh). The son of Cambyses, king of Anshan. With the rise of Cyrus began the renowned Persian Empire that was to continue until the coming of Alexander the Great. Nabonidus was destined to be the last ruling sovereign of the neo-babylonian Empire, for in the highlands of Iran another kingdom was forging out its own program of conquest. When the Medes and their king, Astyages, were defeated by Cyrus, the realm of Persia began to assume threatening proportions. Cyrus himself announced his genealogy: I am Cyrus, king of the hosts, the great king, king of Babylon, king of Sumer and Akkad... son of Cambyses, the king, king of Anshan; the grandson of Cyrus... the great-grandson of Teispes... king of Anshan.... In this same inscription Cyrus proceeds to relate how the city of Babylon opened its gates to him without resistance, confirming the biblical account recorded in Daniel 5 when Darius, acting as viceregent for Cyrus, took the city of Babylon in the name of Cyrus the Great. The neo-babylonian Empire was in no condition to resist the advance of Cyrus, and fell easily into the hands of the Persians. The OT sets the framework of reference against the backdrop of Belshazzar s impious feast (Dan 5:1-30). Cyrus entered Babylon on October 29, 539 B.C., and presented himself in the role of the liberator of the people. He allowed the images of the gods to be transported back to their original cities and instituted a kindly policy of repatriation for captive peoples. His policies of moderation naturally extended to the Hebrews, whom he encouraged to return to Judea to rebuild their temple (2 Chron 36:22-23; Ezra 1:1-6). Isaiah refers to Cyrus as his [i.e., the Lord s] anointed (Isa 45:1). 3 The remaining verses point out two truths. Israel is God s people, and how pathetic are those who serve idols, and how useless are those idols. What is really comforting here is that God refers to Abraham as His friend. And it was because of promises made to Abraham that Israel could be confident in God s protection. Because he loved your ancestors, he chose to bless their descendants and personally brought you out of Egypt with a great display of power (Deuteronomy 4:37). Verses 10-20: And while the security of the people is because of promises God made to Abraham, nevertheless He loves them as well and speaks to them with gentleness. No matter what their sins, He will never desert them. He comes alongside and even in their suffering, He works towards their repentance and restoration. For nonbelievers who reject God because of His imminent judgment, they must ignore His call of love and mercy and His gentleness. Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30). The day is coming when all Israel will be vindicated and will at last be free from her enemies, for her enemies are also God s enemies and will be dealt with accordingly. And while the Jews are a despised people, suffering from a unique and Satanic form of racism, this too will one day come to an end, for they are the children of the God of Israel. One day Israel herself will become the instrument of God s judgment. Isaiah again uses an agricultural illustration, picturing Israel as a threshing machine which will bring destruction 3 Douglas, J. D. and Merrill C. Tenney, editors, NIV Bible Dictionary, Zondervan Interactive Publishing House, Grand Rapids, MI, 1990 ) 297(

4 on His enemies. Where once the nations were used to discipline Israel, now Israel will be used to judge them. God will be her provider, caring for those who are unable to care for themselves. And just as the waters flow from God, so the Holy Spirit flows and slakes the thirst of the people, the thirst which is spiritual. For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants (Isaiah 44:3). On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him. By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified (John 7:37-39). The restoration of the nation, pictured by the restoration, is a miracle and will confound the nations, and sadly will also confound elements of Christendom who believe God is done with the Jewish people. For they understand there is only one way to God, through Christ and therefore one people. At the same time they don t realize there are also two peoples, the Church and Israel. And the restored Israel is such because she does come back to God through Yeshua Ha mashiach. Verses 21-29: Returning to the court scene, God gives the opportunity to the pagans to bring forth their idols showing why they can depend on them rather than Him. Let these gods prophecy. Let them tell of the events of the past and how they impact the present. Let them tell of the future. The fallen nature of men s wisdom is sad, but it is also ironically laughable. Science seeks to understand God s creation, which is appropriate. But with some, they try to use it to eliminate the need for God all together. But science, like idols, has to be held together with chains of speculation and an empty faith, because it cannot stand on its own in its efforts to eliminate God. Where there are no answers, the answers are postulated just as wood and stone could replace God. All the gods are false and while belief in them may provide comfort, it is a false comfort or as Macbeth says of life can be said of the story of idols it is a tale Told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. ~ Macbeth, act 5, sc. 5, l. 16. For, the hope of the idol is an empty hope. An idol, powerless, finally fails and leaves one with no place to turn if one refuses to turn to God. But where the idols can t foretell the coming events, God can and does. He speaks of the one He will be calling out to return His people to their Land. ) 298(

5 Cyrus came from the east (v. 2) but conquered a number of kingdoms north of Babylon early in his reign. From the perspective of a Palestinian writer, invasions came primarily from the north (see 14:31; Jer 1:14; 6:1,22; 10:22; 46:20; 50:3,9,41; 51:48). calls on my name. Cyrus used the Lord s name in his decree. 4 Those who stand in the dock have nothing to say. For when standing before God the lost cannot defend themselves. There is no defense. God is the one who can tell the future, Israel the good news of the coming of Cyrus to return them home to Jerusalem, for He is the one who holds the future in His hands. So Isaiah closes with the picture of God s sovereignty. Do not depend on the wisdom of men, or of men s creations, idols, instead depend only on God. Israel return to your God. He will love you, protect you, and provide the way of Your salvation. Conclusion: Last week some told us Kerry would win. Others believed Bush would. But many expected that regardless of who won, the decision would be tied up in the courts for some time to come. Most, regardless of party affiliation wouldn t have expected Bush to win, Kerry to concede, and the Republicans to gain additional control in both the House and Senate. Clearly, we have no control over the future. Our future is in God s hands and that is why we can be comforted and have peace in our security in Him. Dr. McGee puts it this way: Man cannot explain his past, and he does not know his future apart from God. That makes all of man s effort, apart from God a very vain thing, an empty thing. During my first pastorate a man came to me and said, If you can t give me a good reason for living, I am going to solve all my problems by taking my life. What do you do with a man like that? He had an old rusty.45; it was a big old gun. I said to him, Now look, if you can show me you can solve your problems by taking your life, I will get you a better gun than the one you have so you can do it right. Candidly, if you are not going to turn to Christ if you are not going to bring Him into your life you might as well use your gun. I see no reason why you shouldn t Well, he was really taken aback. He expected me to give him arguments on reasons for living. That fellow put down his gun and left. Although he didn t turn to Christ at that time, he did later on. And he found that Christ had the answer to his problems. Confusion is the end result of idolatry or any philosophy which is anti-god or atheistic. It does not have the answers to the problems of life. These man-made systems cannot satisfy the human heart. The answer is found in the One who brings good tidings of great joy. 5 My lips will shout for joy when I sing praise to you I, whom you have redeemed ~ Psalm 71:23 Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, Joyful, joyful, we adore Thee, God of glory, Lord of love; Hearts unfold like flow rs before Thee, Op ning to the sun above. Melt the clouds of sin and sadness; Drive the dark of doubt away; Giver of immortal gladness, Fill us with the light of day! All Thy works with joy surround Thee, Earth and heav n reflect Thy rays, Stars and angels sing around Thee, Center of unbroken praise. Field and forest, vale and mountain, Flow ry meadow, flashing sea, Singing bird and flowing fountain Call us to rejoice in Thee. 4 NIV Study Bible Notes 5 McGee, J. Vernon, Thru the Bible with J. Vernon McGee, Vol. 3, Isaiah, Thomas Nelson Inc., Nashville, TN 1982 ) 299(

6 Thou art giving and forgiving, Mortals join the mighty chorus Ever blessing, ever blest, Which the morning stars began; Wellspring of the joy of living, Father-love is reigning o'er us, Ocean depth of happy rest! Brother-love binds man to man. Thou our Father, Christ our Brother Ever singing, march we onward, All who live in love are Thine; Victors in the midst of strife; Teach us how to love each other, Joyful music leads us sunward Lift us to the joy divine. In the triumph song of life 6 6 van Dyke, Henry, Joyful, Joyful, we adore Thee, Public Domain ) 300(

7 Isaiah The Court is in Session Isaiah 41 I Introduction II God is Over the Nations Verses 1-9 III God is Savior of Israel Verses IV God is Above Idols Verses V Conclusion I Introduction: (Romans 6:19-23; 2 Peter 3:8; Philippians 4:4-7) II God is Over the Nations: (Ezra 1:1-4; Deuteronomy 4:37; see Ezra 6:3-59; Dan 5:1-30; Isaiah 45:1 )

8 III God is Savior of Israel: (Matthew 11:28-30; Isaiah 44:3; John 7:37-39) IV God is Above Idols: (see 14:31; Jeremiah1:14; 6:1,22; 10:22; 46:20; 50:3,9,41; 51:48) V Conclusion: (Psalm 71:23) Personal Application: Now that we are past the election PTL, let this week be one for rejoicing that in the final analysis He is in charge no matter what happens in Washington. Prayer for the Week: Lord, we praise and worship You, knowing that You watch over us and let us be part of the advancement of Your kingdom. In Christ s name, Amen.