Isaiah 43:14-24
Posted by Calvary Chapel Fremont at 9/23/2009 11:38 PM 
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: Pastor Tim Brown Calvary Chapel Fremont Isaiah
Categories: uncategorized
Tags: Pastor Tim Brown Calvary Chapel Fremont Isaiah
Pastor Tim Brown, Calvary Chapel Fremont, Wednesday September 23, 2009
Isaiah 43:14-21
14 A grand reversal is coming - Babylon and Israel will trade places – the captor will become the captive and the slave will become free. God’s people will be vindicated and the wicked punished. Right now, unrighteousness has the upper hand, but when the moment of prophetic fulfillment comes, there will be a reversal. God is moving history in the direction that will bring blessing to His people. Isaiah to Israel: God is coming your way and will be doing things for your sake!
God hasn’t forgotten you. It’s one thing to think that God isn’t helping you, it’s another to think that He’s forgotten you. If He’s not helping you, you might search for reasons or call out to Him. If He’s forgotten you, you’re no longer a blip on His radar screen. But God hasn’t forgotten you, He’s waiting for a process to work itself out, or work itself in. He has set something in motion and it will do its work.
“Why is God so silent in Babylon?” Actually, He’s not silent. He is still speaking through the last thing He said. Both Ezekiel/Daniel are prophets in the captivity and God is speaking through them. I saw a pastor at a recent conference who has served w/ joy at his church over the many years he has been there. I told him that his witness spoke to me and that he is a blessing to me by his example. God is speaking to you in your difficulty.
You might be saying to yourself, “I can’t wait for the day of the great reversal to come.” Here’s the good news: In Jesus Christ, a grand reversal has taken place w/ more to come. Sin/Satan/death/ grave have all been reversed and soundly defeated. In your life light has replaced darkness/life has conquered death. NT: For all things are for your sakes… 2 Cor. 4:15 The grand reversal has begun - the Lord is redeeming His creation. God has moved/is moving your way. One day there will be a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwell righteousness. There is in place an irreversible process of redemption and renewal.
Historically – here/spiritually – you/eschatologically – last day
15-17 That which is impossible for you becomes impassable for the enemy. Your obedience to God breaks the power of the enemy. Go forward! As you go forward, the enemy cannot follow for long. Here, it is Pharaoh’s army drowning in the Red Sea.
God is leading Israel in a new exodus. And when God works in power the enemy sets himself to oppose it. NIV: God ‘drew out’ the chariots and the horse… God draws out the enemy for defeat. When you set yourself to walk in a new level of obedience you will be resisted. Your flesh resists the march of the Spirit. The flesh resists early rising/generous giving/unearned forgiveness. God is allowing this resistance to be exposed that it might be defeated.
16 Thus says the Lord… then vv16-17 describe the Lord. What the Lord says isn’t spoken until v18. God wants you to see the character and the power of the One who is speaking.
E.g., You want to make a lot of $ in order to give away a lot of $. I tell you that I know a guy… Thus says Bob – who made $10M in one year/gave away $9.5M in one year… you’d want to listen!
18 Here is what the Lord says:
Do not call to mind the former things/Ponder: Do not be ruled by your past. Past: inability to live up to the Law/shame of failure/pain of judgment/security and ease of Babylon. Don’t dwell on your failure or the failure of others toward you.
When you dwell on sinful failure there is guilt/regret/sorrow/ condemnation. Put these things behind you, not before you. Satan wants to remind you of your ruin. Remind him of your redemption.
When you dwell on the failure of others against you there is regret/ bitterness/hatred/unforgiveness/self-pity. Can’t go forward.
19 When Cyrus issued the decree that Jews could return and rebuild the temple – a highway was opened on that day.
God is doing a new thing and opening up new roadways that were previously closed. What God did for Israel in their exodus from Egypt God will do again in their exodus from Babylonian captivity.
God opened up a door out of bondage by the word of Cyrus. God is speaking today and the word of God opens doors. When the word is operative in your life, doors open – out of bondage and into opportunity. One of the greatest blessings of Scripture is its ongoing ability to keep the way clear before us and point the way.
20 Often, in Scripture, beasts represent wicked men. Jackals and ostriches are night creatures w/ chilling cries. The dangers of the wilderness – no road/no water/wild beasts – taken care of. God knows what/who you’ll be facing and has gone before you.
21 God’s people will have a new song.
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Isaiah 43:14-21
14 A grand reversal is coming - Babylon and Israel will trade places – the captor will become the captive and the slave will become free. God’s people will be vindicated and the wicked punished. Right now, unrighteousness has the upper hand, but when the moment of prophetic fulfillment comes, there will be a reversal. God is moving history in the direction that will bring blessing to His people. Isaiah to Israel: God is coming your way and will be doing things for your sake!
God hasn’t forgotten you. It’s one thing to think that God isn’t helping you, it’s another to think that He’s forgotten you. If He’s not helping you, you might search for reasons or call out to Him. If He’s forgotten you, you’re no longer a blip on His radar screen. But God hasn’t forgotten you, He’s waiting for a process to work itself out, or work itself in. He has set something in motion and it will do its work.
“Why is God so silent in Babylon?” Actually, He’s not silent. He is still speaking through the last thing He said. Both Ezekiel/Daniel are prophets in the captivity and God is speaking through them. I saw a pastor at a recent conference who has served w/ joy at his church over the many years he has been there. I told him that his witness spoke to me and that he is a blessing to me by his example. God is speaking to you in your difficulty.
You might be saying to yourself, “I can’t wait for the day of the great reversal to come.” Here’s the good news: In Jesus Christ, a grand reversal has taken place w/ more to come. Sin/Satan/death/ grave have all been reversed and soundly defeated. In your life light has replaced darkness/life has conquered death. NT: For all things are for your sakes… 2 Cor. 4:15 The grand reversal has begun - the Lord is redeeming His creation. God has moved/is moving your way. One day there will be a new heavens and a new earth wherein dwell righteousness. There is in place an irreversible process of redemption and renewal.
Historically – here/spiritually – you/eschatologically – last day
15-17 That which is impossible for you becomes impassable for the enemy. Your obedience to God breaks the power of the enemy. Go forward! As you go forward, the enemy cannot follow for long. Here, it is Pharaoh’s army drowning in the Red Sea.
God is leading Israel in a new exodus. And when God works in power the enemy sets himself to oppose it. NIV: God ‘drew out’ the chariots and the horse… God draws out the enemy for defeat. When you set yourself to walk in a new level of obedience you will be resisted. Your flesh resists the march of the Spirit. The flesh resists early rising/generous giving/unearned forgiveness. God is allowing this resistance to be exposed that it might be defeated.
16 Thus says the Lord… then vv16-17 describe the Lord. What the Lord says isn’t spoken until v18. God wants you to see the character and the power of the One who is speaking.
E.g., You want to make a lot of $ in order to give away a lot of $. I tell you that I know a guy… Thus says Bob – who made $10M in one year/gave away $9.5M in one year… you’d want to listen!
18 Here is what the Lord says:
Do not call to mind the former things/Ponder: Do not be ruled by your past. Past: inability to live up to the Law/shame of failure/pain of judgment/security and ease of Babylon. Don’t dwell on your failure or the failure of others toward you.
When you dwell on sinful failure there is guilt/regret/sorrow/ condemnation. Put these things behind you, not before you. Satan wants to remind you of your ruin. Remind him of your redemption.
When you dwell on the failure of others against you there is regret/ bitterness/hatred/unforgiveness/self-pity. Can’t go forward.
19 When Cyrus issued the decree that Jews could return and rebuild the temple – a highway was opened on that day.
God is doing a new thing and opening up new roadways that were previously closed. What God did for Israel in their exodus from Egypt God will do again in their exodus from Babylonian captivity.
God opened up a door out of bondage by the word of Cyrus. God is speaking today and the word of God opens doors. When the word is operative in your life, doors open – out of bondage and into opportunity. One of the greatest blessings of Scripture is its ongoing ability to keep the way clear before us and point the way.
20 Often, in Scripture, beasts represent wicked men. Jackals and ostriches are night creatures w/ chilling cries. The dangers of the wilderness – no road/no water/wild beasts – taken care of. God knows what/who you’ll be facing and has gone before you.
21 God’s people will have a new song.
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