Pastor Tim Brown, Calvary Chapel Fremont, Wednesday June 24, 2009

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Isaiah 40

Bible – 66 books/39 old and 27 new – Isaiah follows this pattern.

Comfort after calamity/redemption after ruin…  The 1st part of Isaiah’s prophecy is directed toward those who will be shattered.  The 2nd part is directed toward those who have been shattered.  webb

God had a message for His rebellious people that was ignored.  But God is not done!  He has a message for rebellious man and He now has a message for ruined man - redemption.  Even though rebellion leads to ruin, God is not done w/ Israel – God is not done w/ you.  The word that Isaiah spoke in C1-39 wasn’t listened to, but now, in C40-66, God has their attention.  

If there is any message that comes through w/ crystal clarity in these last 27 chapters of I it is that God is not done w/ you.  You might be done w/ God, but God is not done w/ you.  His interest in you outlasts your interest in Him. The prodigal son was done w/ the father, but the father of the prodigal was never done w/ him.  

To those who have been ruined by sin/shattered by judgment -   

    * You are still My people  1

Comfort – 1st use: Genesis 5:29.  Noah so named because “He will comfort us in the labor and painful toil of our hands caused by the ground the LORD has cursed.”  The people were looking for the one promised to wound the head of the serpent/reverse the curse imposed upon creation because of sin.  Comfort has to do w/ the coming of deliverance/ reversal of the judgment of sin.  “Tell My people that judgment has run its course/deliverance is accomplished/curse is lifted/renewal has come.”

You are still My people!  

Hosea, prophet to Israel and spoke of God’s judgment on their sin.  He was contemporary w/ Isaiah and named his son Lo-ammi – not my people.  Speaking for the Lord he said to Israel: You are not My people and I am not your God.  These were shocking words.  And though Hosea prophesied in/to north, the same spiritual conditions he prophesied against prevailed in Judah, too.  This word was ringing in their ears/God wanted another message communicated: you are My people.

To those who have been ruined by sin/shattered by judgment -   

    * You are forgiven  2

Warfare ended – Judah hasn’t been attacking anyone, but she has been besieged and kept in exile in Babylon.  

Ended – made full/brought to completion.  Lev. 26:31-35; 2 Chr. 36:20-21

Allowing the land to lay fallow for 70 years satisfied the law, but didn’t remove Israel’s sin.  It released them from bondage to Babylon, but not from bondage to sin.  The people’s iniquity had been removed - her debt of sin had been paid, but not by her.  Her sin had been removed by Another.  God in His goodness had brought her misery to an end.  

… a death has taken place for the redemption of the transgressions that were committed under the first covenant…  Hebrews 9:15

Their/our sin fell on Jesus/He was crushed for our iniquity/He was pierced for our transgression.  C53 will reveal that One bore the sin.  

    * You are still destined for great things  3-5

This passage is quoted in Mt./Mk./Lk./Jn.  When this is quoted, John the Baptist is preaching repentance. It speaks of how God comes to a person.  Raising valleys/lowering mountains refer to workmen leveling/smoothing out the road for a traveling king.  Anything impeding progress of the king was to be removed.

That which stands in the way of the people returning to God is taken out of the way in vv1-2 and that which stands in the way of God coming to the people is removed in vv3-5.  Sin is addressed in 1-2 and self is addressed in 3-5.  God deals w/ sin and we are to deal w/ self.  We cannot forgive our own sin – we cannot take away our iniquity – but we are called to put to death/deny self and not indulge the passions of the flesh.  The death of sin brings the comfort of God and the death of self brings the glory of God.

Glory: person/presence of God.  Glory departed – Eli/Ezekiel.  God dwelling in His temple.  As we decrease, He increases.  V5 has a dual fulfillment – individual (cf. Lk. 3:4-6) and corporate – at the 2nd coming of Jesus.  

    * You are to be taught of My word  6-8

Flesh here isn’t fallen human nature, but our physical bodies.  Tr. – people/mankind.  Here’s how to view mankind - it’s all going to fade away.  Don’t put your trust in people – they will fail you.  Some of you have been failed by parents/pastors/friends.  

It was trusting in man and not the Word of God that got them into trouble in the 1st place.  God desires a people taught by/led by His Word and not subject to the interference of people.

    * You are My messengers  9-11

9  After being comforted/forgiven of sin/denial of self/experiencing glory/warned about putting trust in man/taught the Word – now they are taken w/ God!  It’s all about God now!  Here is God!

10 His arm is ruling (this is what He has done) – triumphed over sin/death/hell/grave

His reward is w/ Him (this is what He will do) – salvation for those who believe

His recompense (this is what He paid) before Him – the message of the cross

11  His reward:

Tend – feed

Gather – word used to describe strength in numbers

Carry in His bosom – place of security

Gently lead – He knows where we need to go

To those who have been ruined by sin/shattered by judgment - 

You are still My people

You are forgiven

You are destined for great things

You are to be taught My Word

You are my messengers