A REDEEMER IN ZION ISAIAH 59: August 2 Lesson 9. DEVOTIONAL READING: Exodus 6:2-8 BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 59; Psalm 89:11-18

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1 Page 1 of 14 August 2 Lesson 9 A REDEEMER IN ZION DEVOTIONAL READING: Exodus 6:2-8 BACKGROUND SCRIPTURE: Isaiah 59; Psalm 89:11-18 ISAIAH 59: Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice. 16 He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there Photo: istockphoto / Thinkstock was no one to intervene; so his own arm achieved salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. 17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak. 18 According to what they have done, so will he repay wrath to his enemies and retribution to his foes; 1 1

2 Page 2 of 14 he will repay the islands their due. 19 From the west, people will fear the name of the LORD, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the LORD drives along. 20 The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins, declares the LORD. 21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, says the LORD. My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants from this time on and forever, says the LORD. KEY VERSE The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins, declares the LORD. Isaiah 59:20 LESSON AIMS After participating in this lesson, each learner will be able to: 1. Describe the state of affairs in the Israel of Isaiah s day and God s reaction to it. 2. Explain how and why God s warning of his righteous judgment forms part of his message of redemption. 3. Plan an outreach event to spread the message of the Redeemer in the community. LESSON OUTLINE Introduction A. Are You Angry? B. Lesson Background I. Injustice and Righteousness (ISAIAH 59:15-17) A. The Lord s Displeasure (vv. 15, 16a) B. The Lord s Solution (vv. 16b, 17) Acting on God s Behalf 2 2

3 Page 3 of 14 II. Repayment and Glory (ISAIAH 59:18, 19) A. Enemies Defeated (v. 18) B. God Triumphant (v. 19) Universal Justice III. Redeemer and Covenant (ISAIAH 59:20, 21) A. Future Deliverance (v. 20) B. Eternal Relationship (v. 21) Conclusion A. God s Justice Brings Hope B. Prayer C. Thought to Remember Introduction A. Are You Angry? If you aren t angry, you aren t paying attention. Perhaps you have seen this slogan on bumper stickers or billboards. We might object to it. After all, we should control our anger, shouldn t we? And I resent being told that I am not paying attention! I read the bumper sticker, did I not? But that provocative saying makes a point that Christians should affirm. Injustice and wickedness seem rampant. Everywhere we turn, we see the power of evil. How can a thoughtful person not be angry in a world like this? Our indignant reaction reflects how God made us. As people who bear his image, our response to the world should reflect his own. Our Creator is utterly just, righteous, and holy. He cannot tolerate the evil that mars his creation and victimizes people. God s wrath, his righteous anger against evil, burns against all that is wrong. When we feel indignant anger about the evils we see, we reflect God s own reaction. But God s intent is not merely to destroy evil. He also intends to enact justice and righteousness as he reasserts his rightful reign over creation. As those who bear his image, we long for his will to be done! Yet if we are honest, we know that we are part of the reason that God s justice does not reign as fully as it should in our world. The righteousness that we desire is the very thing we often reject in our stubborn selfishness. We regularly act in ways that embody evil, not justice. We who long for the solution are part of the problem. Today s text reflects these realities. Above and beyond that, however, it expresses God s promise to establish his justice despite our failures. B. Lesson Background The prophet Isaiah delivered his messages during the turbulent eighth century BC. Judah, the southern kingdom in Israel s divided monarchy, was threatened by the powerful Assyrian empire. Isaiah s generation had witnessed the Assyrians destruction of the northern kingdom of 3 3

4 Page 4 of 14 Israel in 722 BC, and only by God s intervention did Judah and Jerusalem survive that awful time (see 2 Kings 18:13-19:37; Isaiah 36, 37). But the threat from within was just as great, if not more so. Of the four kings who ruled Judah in Isaiah s day (see Isaiah 1:1), three were relatively good and one was quite evil. But the unholiness that had gained a grip continued during the reigns of the good kings (2 Kings 15:4, 35). Temporary repentance would occur (2 Chronicles 32:26), but it was always just that temporary. Judah was surrounded by violent, ungodly nations, and Judah itself had become such a nation. How could a holy God tolerate all that unholiness? How could he promise that his people would become a light for the Gentiles (Isaiah 42:6; compare 49:6) when the Israelites were as sinful as the pagan nations around them? Our text today is part of a larger context that addresses such questions. I. Injustice and Righteousness (ISAIAH 59:15-17) A. The Lord s Displeasure (vv. 15, 16a) 15. Truth is nowhere to be found, and whoever shuns evil becomes a prey. The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice. As God surveys his world, he sees the utter ruin of his original design. Truth, understanding, and living in accord with God s reality has failed. Isaiah has just compared truth s condition with a person who stumbles and falls helpless in the street (Isaiah 59:14). That image is appropriate for a nation like Judah. Although entrusted with God s law and land, it chooses to seek safety in wealth and political alliances with pagan nations. Evil runs rampant in settings where truth is ignored. Whoever shuns evil is victimized by those who have abandoned truth to embrace evil. Often such victims are society s most vulnerable (see Isaiah 1:17, 23; 10:2). In such an environment, the weak are left unprotected and the righteous are abused as the godless, truth-denying people exercise unbridled power. What Do You Think? Who has been the greatest influence for you being a truthful person at various stages of life? Why? Talking Points for Your Discussion During your preteen years During your teenage years During adulthood 4 4

5 Page 5 of 14 But God sees all this. He is not distant and indifferent; he is in fact deeply engaged. What God seeks is justice, referring to governance of his world that reflects his character and purpose. This is the responsibility of all who are created in his image. This responsibility involves how to live, how to interact with others, and what to expect from others. For the powerful, it means discretion in their own exercise of power as they yield to God s purposes. For the weak, it means to trust in his way for protection and relief. But the prophet tells us that God sees no justice as he looks at his world. Such a situation is intolerable for him, the holy one. 16a. He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; As God surveys the situation, he sees its hopelessness. His justice is absent because there is no one who practices it! So God is appalled that there is also no one to intervene to make things right again. This is the issue that confronted Isaiah when he had a vision of the holy God: that man realized himself to be a sinful person, surrounded by sinful people (Isaiah 6:5). Who can be God s instrument in such a dire situation? HOW TO SAY IT anthropomorphism an-thruh-puh-more-fih-zum. Assyrian Uh-sear-e-un. Isaiah Eye-zay-uh. Judah Joo-duh. Sinai Sigh-nye or Sigh-nay-eye. B. The Lord s Solution (vv. 16b, 17) 16b.... so his own arm achieved salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him. The answer! If none but God expresses his justice, then God himself must be the one to establish that justice. Isaiah speaks of God s arm as a way of referring to his mighty power, exercised like a warrior who uses his strong arm to wield a sword. That mighty power of God will bring salvation, which refers to the entire plan of God to retake his world. As God does so, he will establish justice and rescue his people from the terrible position in which they find themselves by their own doing. God s righteousness his utter commitment to that which is right and just is the basis on 5 5

6 Page 6 of 14 which he moves to transform his deeply unrighteous and unjust people and the unrighteous and unjust world in which they live. In this sinful world, none but God can do this! ACTING ON GOD S BEHALF The Bible sometimes presents God to us in terms of human form, characteristics, or actions. (The technical term for this is anthropomorphism.) That s what we see in the verse above and the one following. This technique helps us understand God at a level most familiar to us. The Bible on occasion also presents God to us in terms of animal characteristics (examples: Psalm 91:4; Luke 13:34). We are grateful for this aid to understanding! But as we ponder what is to be brought about by God s arm, we should not let the magnificence of this imagery cause us to miss a vital point: This action was not God s first choice! His first choice was that a human intercessor would act on his behalf. But since there was no one to be found to do so, God decided to take the necessary action himself. We see the same issue in Ezekiel 22:29, 30. When God looks at the world today, does he see anyone willing to act on his behalf to bring about his justice? Praying for God s justice to prevail is a good thing. Following that prayer with action to make it happen is even better! R. L. N. What Do You Think? When was a time you expected someone to act on your behalf but the person failed to do so? What did you learn from this experience? Talking Points for Your Discussion Regarding a legal issue Regarding an issue at work or school Regarding a family issue Other 17a. He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; Seeing the awful, helpless condition of the world, God figuratively arms himself for battle. His armaments of breastplate and helmet are characterized by the very qualities that he alone can bring to the world, two attributes on which Isaiah has already focused: righteousness and salvation. No one can be found to have God s righteousness, so he is the one to bring it to the battle. None but God can bring salvation, so he is the one to bring it to the battle as well. There can be no doubt: God, so armed with what the world lacks, will prevail in the battle with evil. 6 6

7 Page 7 of 14 What Do You Think? Considering this armament alongside that of Ephesians 6:13-17, where is your preparedness for spiritual battle most in need of improvement? How will that improvement happen? Talking Points for Your Discussion Regarding offensive functions Regarding defensive functions Other 17b.... he put on the garments of vengeance The picture becomes more intense. God s figurative clothing for battle is vengeance. That word may trouble us at some level, but it is a vital expression of God s righteousness and holiness. The God whom Isaiah saw in his vision of chapter 6 is the holy one who cannot tolerate evil. His very nature requires that evil be punished. The crime demands a punishment, and the punishment will fit the crime. To pay back what evil deserves is to deliver the vengeance of retributive justice. Humans are imperfect agents of doing so. But the God who demands such retribution is capable of delivering it perfectly and he does! Vengeance belongs only to him (Deuteronomy 32:35; quoted in Romans 12:19). Were it not for God s vengeance, we would have no assurance of justice in the world. God s vengeance is also part of the framework of his mercy, since the reality of his justified vengeance is what makes his offer of mercy meaningful. Justice demands retribution, and as sinners we all fall under that sentence of death. Without God s mercy, we would all be doomed. As we clamor for justice, we will see our guilt in that regard. In turn, this should make us aware of our utter need for God s mercy. 17c.... and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak. At least some in Isaiah s audience doubtless wonder whether God will ever act to bring justice and retribution. They are not alone in that regard (examples: Judges 6:13; Habakkuk 1:2; Revelation 6:10). Has God forgotten the plight of the weak? Has he abandoned the world to evil? The prophet delivers a ringing assurance to the contrary! God demonstrates a passionate zeal for the battle to establish his justice. Figuratively, God s zeal is such an important part of his nature that he wears it as though it were a cloak. Even if he seems distant as we toil in the midst of evil, his zeal for righteousness assures us that he will always act on his people s behalf in his time. 7 7

8 Page 8 of 14 II. Repayment and Glory (ISAIAH 59:18, 19) A. Enemies Defeated (v. 18) 18. According to what they have done, so will he repay wrath to his enemies and retribution to his foes; he will repay the islands their due. To establish justice, God assures that the punishment fits the crime the idea of according to what they have done. He does not act arbitrarily. Each individual is to receive punishment for what he or she does (compare Revelation 20:12, 13; 22:12). God s judgment is, in effect, repayment: simple and perfect retributive justice. This is the very justice that the oppressed cry out for (Psalm 28:4). God accomplishes this by unleashing his power on his enemies. Wrongdoers are rebels against him; they are subjects of the divine king who plot insurrection. God s judgment brings those enemies to the divine bar of justice. His wrath is not an irrational, knee-jerk reaction. Rather, such judgment is his righteous, holy indignation in response to the evil done by those who rebel against him. This justice is not merely for the Israelites and their neighbors it goes worldwide. Isaiah understands that God is Lord not just of a single nation or region but of the whole world. All peoples in all places are subject to his judgment and justice. For the Israelites, a people unaccustomed to seafaring, many such are across the seas; these places are the islands beyond the horizon. Isaiah expresses conviction that even those places, usually inaccessible to him and his people, will also be the objects of God s retributive justice. The holy one of Israel will not let evil continue forever in his world. Were he to do so, he would not be true to himself. The justice that people long for is the justice that he promises ultimately to all. What Do You Think? How does belief in God s ultimate justice help when facing injustice in the here and now? Talking Points for Your Discussion When you are wronged When a fellow believer is wronged When interacting with unbelievers Other 8 8

9 Page 9 of 14 B. God Triumphant (v. 19) 19a. From the west, people will fear the name of the LORD, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory. Isaiah promises that the ultimate result of God s judgment is global submission to his rule. The worldwide scope is seen in Isaiah s pointing to both the west and the east (the rising of the sun). The fear that people will demonstrate will not be simply a dread of punishment but one of awe and respect that reflects a corrected assessment of God. Such fear is directed especially to the name of the Lord, meaning his authority. To fear God s name is to revere him and submit to him as king, being fully aware of his righteousness and power. UNIVERSAL JUSTICE The U.N. Commission on Human Rights was formed in 1948 to be a watchdog over issues of human rights. But the commission came under criticism through the years because many of its member-states had poor records on human rights themselves. A tipping point came in 2004 when the U.S. ambassador declared Sudan s election to the commission an absurdity given that country s campaign of ethnic cleansing in its Darfur region. The commission was replaced in 2006 by the U.N. Human Rights Council for a fresh start at promoting human rights. But achieving justice at the international level is hindered by vested interests that resist change. Further adding to the problem is that there are various kinds of justice to be considered (retributive, distributive, procedural, and restorative) and defined. This problem is not confined to the international level. What I think is just and right may seem terribly unfair to you. Apart from a divine standard, justice is difficult to imagine and hard to attain. Isaiah gives us hope as he predicts the day when the whole creation will experience God s justice. There is no better kind. C. R. B. 19b. For he will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the LORD drives along. The proper translation of this half-verse is uncertain, and this alternative is offered in a footnote of some editions of the NIV: When enemies come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord will put them to flight. But under either translation, the end result is clear: as God s rule is established, he sweeps away every imaginable threat. The emphasis is on the full accomplishment of God s will in the world. The holy one of Israel will reign as king over all that he has created. III. Redeemer and Covenant 9 9

10 Page 10 of 14 (ISAIAH 59:20, 21) A. Future Deliverance (v. 20) 20. The Redeemer will come to Zion, to those in Jacob who repent of their sins, declares the LORD. When God establishes his global justice, it will mean restoration for his people. As Isaiah writes this, he addresses an audience that is aware of his earlier warnings that Judah will one day be taken captive as God s judgment on their rebellion (Isaiah 3; 39:6, 7). But God has promised to visit his people beyond that captivity to liberate them as he did in the exodus from Egypt (Deuteronomy 30:1-5; Isaiah 49:8-26), and Isaiah repeats that promise here. God will not abandon his to-be-exiled people. As their Redeemer, he will lead them a second time from enslavement to freedom. This promise is to those in Jacob that is, Jacob s descendants, the people of Israel who repent of their sins (compare Paul s loose quotation of this verse and part of the next in Romans 11:26, 27a). With the use of the word Redeemer, Isaiah embeds God s mercy in the announcement of judgment. Justice requires that rebellion against him be penalized, the penalty here taking the form of exile. But God promises restoration for those who repent and seek his mercy. It is his mercy, not his judgment, that God ultimately seeks for his people. In warning of judgment, God is exercising his mercy as he invites stubborn rebels to be restored to his blessing. What Do You Think? When have you seen a person having to experience the pain of hitting rock bottom before finally repenting? What did you learn from this? Talking Points for Your Discussion A colleague A family member A neighbor Other B. Eternal Relationship (v. 21) 21. As for me, this is my covenant with them, says the LORD. My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants from this time on and forever, says the LORD

11 Page 11 of 14 To reinforce his promise to restore justice for his people, God recalls his covenant with them. This covenant is the statement of obligations and promises that he gave to his people at Mount Sinai. God s covenant includes both warnings of judgment for disobedience and promises of restored blessing for repentance. But as God recalls this covenant, an abrupt change takes place as he switches from discussing the plural them to begin addressing you (twice) and your (three times), which are singular in number. This singular individual is endowed with God s Spirit (compare 1 Samuel 10:6). God puts his words in the mouth of this person, as he does with the prophets (compare Ezra 1:1). His words in this individual s mouth will remain powerful for the descendants of generations that extend from this time on and forever. Of whom is God speaking? The concept of one who establishes God s truth forever reminds us of the promise of a great king like David, a forthcoming ruler whose throne God is to establish forever (2 Samuel 7:16). The concept of one who speaks for God by his Spirit reminds us of the promise to send a prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:18, 19). The reference to descendants echoes God s promise to Abraham that by his offspring all the nations are to be blessed (Genesis 22:18). Thus we are driven to conclude that Isaiah is voicing God s promise to send the great king, the great prophet, the one who blesses all nations. Isaiah has already spoken of one to be known as Immanuel, meaning God with us (Isaiah 7:14), one to have God s authority to bring his peace (9:6, 7), a Branch from the roots of King David s father, Jesse, to establish perfect peace (11:1). Knowing what happens some eight centuries after Isaiah s prophecy, we can identify Jesus as the you of the verse before us. He is the means by which God restores blessing to people (Matthew 1:23). He is the means by which God brings his perfect justice to the world. Conclusion A. God s Justice Brings Hope Living in a world filled with evil and injustice as we do, it is natural to become angry or discouraged. But we have great hope in hearing of God s commitment to bring justice. Isaiah offered a glimpse of what lies beyond the oppression of injustice and certainty of God s judgment: the promise of God s mercy. The prophet reminded the people of his day that the merciful God intended to restore his glorious design to those willing to receive it. That reminder is ours as well

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13 Page 13 of 14 Visual for Lesson 9. Use this visual as a focal point to discuss the who, what, why, and how of redemption in Christ. The fact that we know the climax of the story gives us an advantage over Isaiah and his audience: the Son of God has indeed visited his people! Having given his life as the perfect sacrifice, he has satisfied the requirements of God s justice to punish sin (Isaiah 52:13-53:12), thus enabling his mercy to be poured out. Risen from the dead, Jesus now reigns on high (Hebrews 1:3) as we await his return when he will judge some (Acts 10:42) and redeem others (Mark 13:26, 27). Knowing how the promises are fulfilled, we have a duty beyond that of Isaiah s audience. Knowing how God exhibits his justice and mercy through Jesus, we have every reason and obligation to reflect those in the way we live. B. Prayer Almighty God, we ask that you empower us to be people of justice even as we extend mercy as you have been merciful to us. In the name of Jesus, our just and merciful king, amen! C. Thought to Remember Proclaim both God s justice and his mercy. INVOLVEMENT LEARNING Some of the activities below are also found in the helpful student book, NIV Bible Student. Don t forget to download the free reproducible page from to enhance your lesson! Into the Lesson Draw two columns on the board; write Me at the top of the left column and God at the top of the right. Say, We don t have to look far to realize we live in a fallen world. Let s consider some recent events and compare our responses to them with how we think God might respond. Summarize some incidents that involve injustice of the past week that you have researched in advance. Pause after each to ask, What justice would you want to see imposed on the apparent wrongdoer and why? Jot responses in the column labeled Me. (Leave the responses on the board; the God column will be filled in later.) Wrap up this segment by saying, We naturally want wrongdoers to receive the punishment they deserve. God also demands justice, but today we will see that his justice is accompanied by his merciful salvation

14 Page 14 of 14 Option. Before class, place in chairs copies of the Justice and Mercy activity from the reproducible page, which you can download. Learners can begin working on this as they arrive. Into the Word Distribute handouts titled Kings of Judah in the Time of Isaiah that feature the following names of kings (column on the left) and associated passages (column on the right): Uzziah (also known as Azariah): 2 Kings 15:1-5; 2 Chronicles 26:16-21 / Jotham: 2 Kings 15:32-35; 2 Chronicles 27:1-4 / Ahaz: 2 Kings 16:1-4; 2 Chronicles 28:1-4 / Hezekiah: 2 Kings 18:1-8; 2 Chronicles 32: Say, Take a couple of minutes to skim through the listed passages and jot down important details about each of the four kings. (Option: save time by assigning the kings individually to pairs or small groups.) When you call for conclusions, learners should note that Ahaz was utterly evil. The other three notably did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, but they each had problems: Hezekiah and Uzziah both had issues of pride, and the latter tolerated his people s sinful worship practices, as did Jotham. Say, Even though three of the four kings of Judah in Isaiah s day did what was right, the same could not be said of their people by and large. This is the context of today s study. Have verses 15, 16 from today s lesson text read aloud. Use the commentary on these two verses to establish further the spiritual condition of Judah at the time. Then write the words righteousness and salvation on the board. Say, The remainder of the verses for today s lesson gives us the picture of what God s righteousness and salvation look like. Let s examine these. As you work through verses 17-21, pause at each image to ask whether it fits better as an image of righteousness or as an image of salvation. The first two images ( righteousness as his breastplate" and helmet of salvation ) are obviously easy in that regard. The third image ( garments of vengeance ) fits righteousness, while the fourth image ( wrapped... in zeal as in a cloak ) can fit both, etc. (If you used the Justice and Mercy activity at the outset, refer back to it to show how justice connects with righteousness and how mercy connects with salvation.) Into Life Say, We began by identifying what we believed to be just responses to those who acted unjustly. Let s go back to those incidents to think of God s response in terms of both righteousness and offers of salvation. Discuss how an outreach event in the community would incorporate both messages of the justice that the righteous God demands and the merciful salvation that Jesus makes available. Option. Distribute copies of the Intercessors Today activity from the reproducible page for brainstorming as indicated. Come prepared with ideas that you have researched in advance should learners seem at a loss