1 00:00:00,120 --> 00:00:02,720 Would invite you to take your bibles and turn with me to the 2 00:00:02,720 --> 00:00:07,120 book of Isaiah. Going to be looking at Isaiah 3 00:00:07,120 --> 00:00:10,360 chapter 40 today. If you're using the red Bibles 4 00:00:10,360 --> 00:00:13,520 and the chairs around you, the page number for that passage is 5 00:00:13,520 --> 00:00:18,200 printed for you in the bulletin. Those of you that are visiting 6 00:00:18,200 --> 00:00:22,160 with us or haven't been with us for very long won't know that we 7 00:00:22,160 --> 00:00:24,880 have been working our way through the book of Isaiah. 8 00:00:24,880 --> 00:00:28,600 We took a break back in May. We had made it all the way to 9 00:00:28,600 --> 00:00:32,080 chapter 39, and so we took a break for the summer, and now 10 00:00:32,080 --> 00:00:34,880 we're coming back to it and picking up where we left off, 11 00:00:34,880 --> 00:00:39,120 which is a key turning point in the book of Isaiah, as we will 12 00:00:39,120 --> 00:00:41,560 see today and in the coming weeks. 13 00:00:42,120 --> 00:00:45,720 Before we jump in to look at Isaiah chapter 4, let me give 14 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:49,680 all of us a short reminder of some of the context of Isaiah. 15 00:00:50,200 --> 00:00:53,000 We're told that it was written by a man named Isaiah. 16 00:00:53,000 --> 00:00:56,800 We don't know a lot about him. We're told that he was the son 17 00:00:56,800 --> 00:00:59,040 of Amos. That doesn't help us a whole lot 18 00:00:59,040 --> 00:01:02,480 because we don't know who Amos was or anything about him. 19 00:01:03,120 --> 00:01:06,760 We know that Isaiah was married and that he had children and he 20 00:01:06,760 --> 00:01:11,080 ministered in the second-half of the 8th century BC, probably 21 00:01:11,280 --> 00:01:14,960 starting his ministry around the seven 40s or seven 30s BC. 22 00:01:15,360 --> 00:01:18,080 And he was a prophet for about 40 or 50 years. 23 00:01:18,080 --> 00:01:22,880 He lived and he ministered in what was the southern Kingdom of 24 00:01:22,880 --> 00:01:26,640 God's people called Judah, but he also addressed the northern 25 00:01:26,640 --> 00:01:30,200 Kingdom of Israel and the nations that were around Israel 26 00:01:30,200 --> 00:01:33,160 and Judah. He was a contemporary with Hosea 27 00:01:33,480 --> 00:01:37,320 who also ministered in Judah. Now, if any of you are familiar 28 00:01:37,320 --> 00:01:41,560 with Isaiah's Hebrew, then you know it is exquisite. 29 00:01:41,920 --> 00:01:46,160 It is beautiful and complex. It contains poetry and 30 00:01:46,160 --> 00:01:49,640 alliteration, metaphors, analogies, word play. 31 00:01:50,080 --> 00:01:53,720 Chapters 40 through 66 of Isaiah are some of the most beautiful 32 00:01:53,720 --> 00:01:57,680 poetry in all of the Bible or any literature for that. 33 00:01:58,440 --> 00:02:02,920 For that point, we're told that Isaiah was called by God because 34 00:02:02,920 --> 00:02:05,560 there was a problem that God wanted to address with his 35 00:02:05,560 --> 00:02:08,639 people. We saw in chapter 1 the the 36 00:02:08,639 --> 00:02:12,120 language of a courtroom. A jury was called to assemble. 37 00:02:12,600 --> 00:02:16,080 Charges were made. God's people had rebelled 38 00:02:16,080 --> 00:02:19,280 against the Lord. They had broken the relationship 39 00:02:19,280 --> 00:02:22,120 between the Lord and them, the covenant relationship. 40 00:02:22,120 --> 00:02:26,680 Their religion was heartless, their worship was empty rituals. 41 00:02:27,160 --> 00:02:30,120 They had a lack of justice and care for the poor and the 42 00:02:30,120 --> 00:02:34,600 oppressed, and they worshipped idols literally and in their 43 00:02:34,600 --> 00:02:37,440 hearts. A verdict was announced that 44 00:02:37,440 --> 00:02:39,440 they were guilty of these charges. 45 00:02:39,440 --> 00:02:43,640 A sentence was pronounced that judgement was coming for the 46 00:02:43,640 --> 00:02:47,000 northern Kingdom of Israel. They were taken into exile. 47 00:02:47,000 --> 00:02:50,440 They were conquered and taken into exile by Assyria in about 48 00:02:50,440 --> 00:02:54,040 722 BC. The southern Kingdom of Judah 49 00:02:54,360 --> 00:02:59,360 would be taken into exile by Babylon in around 586. 50 00:02:59,880 --> 00:03:02,840 Now, as we looked at the first part of Isaiah, chapters one 51 00:03:02,840 --> 00:03:07,080 through 39, again and again and again, we saw judgment being 52 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:11,480 pronounced, but we also saw words of hope that were 53 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:14,680 sprinkled in. Ultimately, God would not 54 00:03:14,680 --> 00:03:17,320 abandon his people. He would not leave them or 55 00:03:17,320 --> 00:03:19,480 forsake them. He would bring this people back 56 00:03:19,480 --> 00:03:22,240 from exile. He would preserve a remnant of 57 00:03:22,240 --> 00:03:25,480 his people. And ultimately, we saw in the 58 00:03:25,480 --> 00:03:28,160 first part of the book the promise that a Messiah would 59 00:03:28,160 --> 00:03:30,160 come to save his people from their sins. 60 00:03:30,200 --> 00:03:33,400 Now as we transition to the last half of the book, there's 61 00:03:33,640 --> 00:03:36,880 there's a movement that takes place, a movement from 62 00:03:36,880 --> 00:03:43,920 condemnation and judgment to a focus of hope and even comfort 63 00:03:44,600 --> 00:03:47,640 for God's people. You can see that in the very 64 00:03:47,640 --> 00:03:51,480 first words that we read in Isaiah chapter 40. 65 00:03:53,040 --> 00:03:57,920 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God, speak tenderly to 66 00:03:57,920 --> 00:04:01,720 Jerusalem and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her 67 00:04:01,720 --> 00:04:05,040 iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord's 68 00:04:05,040 --> 00:04:10,120 hand double for all her sins. A voice cries in the wilderness, 69 00:04:10,120 --> 00:04:13,760 Prepare the way of the Lord, Make straight in the desert a 70 00:04:13,800 --> 00:04:17,480 highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, 71 00:04:17,480 --> 00:04:19,519 and every mountain and hill be made low. 72 00:04:20,160 --> 00:04:23,720 The uneven ground shall become level in the rough places a 73 00:04:23,720 --> 00:04:27,520 plain and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh 74 00:04:27,520 --> 00:04:31,360 shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken. 75 00:04:32,080 --> 00:04:35,760 A voice says, Cry, and I said, What shall I cry? 76 00:04:36,400 --> 00:04:40,320 All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the 77 00:04:40,320 --> 00:04:43,240 field. The grass Withers, the flower 78 00:04:43,240 --> 00:04:45,520 fades when the breath of the Lord blows on it. 79 00:04:45,760 --> 00:04:49,960 Surely the people are grass, The grass Withers, the flower fades, 80 00:04:49,960 --> 00:04:53,080 but the word of our God will stand forever. 81 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:58,080 Go on up to a high mountain. O Zion, herald of good news, 82 00:04:58,320 --> 00:05:00,040 lift up your voice with strength. 83 00:05:00,040 --> 00:05:03,560 O Jerusalem, herald of good news, lifted up. 84 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:08,960 Fear not, say to the cities of Judah, Behold your God, Behold 85 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:12,240 the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him. 86 00:05:12,600 --> 00:05:16,440 Behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him. 87 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:19,720 He will tend his flock like a shepherd, He will gather the 88 00:05:19,720 --> 00:05:23,200 lambs in His arms, He will carry them in His bosom, and gently 89 00:05:23,200 --> 00:05:26,840 lead those that are with young. Who has measured the waters in 90 00:05:26,840 --> 00:05:30,480 the hollow, the hollow of His hand, and marked off the heavens 91 00:05:30,480 --> 00:05:34,360 with a span, enclosed the dust of the earth in a measure, and 92 00:05:34,360 --> 00:05:37,360 weighed the mountains and scales and the hills in a balance? 93 00:05:37,920 --> 00:05:39,920 Who has measured the spirit of the Lord? 94 00:05:40,160 --> 00:05:42,200 Or what man shows him his counsel? 95 00:05:42,840 --> 00:05:45,960 Whom did he consult, and who made him understand? 96 00:05:46,400 --> 00:05:48,880 Who taught him the path of justice, and taught him 97 00:05:48,880 --> 00:05:51,200 knowledge, and showed him the way of understanding? 98 00:05:51,920 --> 00:05:55,400 Behold, the nations are like a drop from a bucket, and are 99 00:05:55,400 --> 00:05:57,600 accounted as the dust of the scales. 100 00:05:58,120 --> 00:06:00,880 Behold, he takes up the coastlands like fine dust. 101 00:06:01,440 --> 00:06:05,600 Lebanon would not suffice, suffice, suffice for fuel, nor 102 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:07,880 are its beasts enough for a burnt offering. 103 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:10,840 All the nations are as nothing before him. 104 00:06:11,080 --> 00:06:14,640 They are accounted by Him as less than nothing and emptiness. 105 00:06:15,280 --> 00:06:18,800 To whom then will you liken God, or what likeness Compare with 106 00:06:18,800 --> 00:06:20,080 Him? An idol. 107 00:06:20,760 --> 00:06:24,360 A Craftsman casts it, and a Goldsmith overlays it with gold 108 00:06:24,360 --> 00:06:28,720 and casts it for silver chains. He who is too impoverished for 109 00:06:28,720 --> 00:06:30,960 an offering chooses wood that will not rot. 110 00:06:31,320 --> 00:06:34,600 He seeks out a skillful Craftsman to set up an idol that 111 00:06:34,600 --> 00:06:36,920 will not move. Do you not know? 112 00:06:37,560 --> 00:06:39,680 Do you not hear? Has it not been told you from 113 00:06:39,680 --> 00:06:41,680 the beginning? Have you not understood from the 114 00:06:41,680 --> 00:06:45,120 foundations of the earth? It is he who sits above the 115 00:06:45,120 --> 00:06:47,640 circle of the earth, and its inhabitants are like 116 00:06:47,640 --> 00:06:51,600 grasshoppers, who stretches out the heavens like a curtain and 117 00:06:51,600 --> 00:06:54,840 spreads them like a tent to dwell in, who brings Princess to 118 00:06:54,840 --> 00:06:58,200 nothing, and makes the rulers of the earth as emptiness. 119 00:06:58,800 --> 00:07:02,680 Scarcely are they planted, scarcely sown, scarcely has 120 00:07:02,680 --> 00:07:06,080 their stem taken root in the earth, when he blows on them and 121 00:07:06,080 --> 00:07:09,360 they wither, and The Tempest carries them off like stubble. 122 00:07:10,360 --> 00:07:13,320 To whom then will you compare me that I should be like him? 123 00:07:13,320 --> 00:07:16,200 Says the Holy One. Lift up your eyes on high and 124 00:07:16,200 --> 00:07:20,440 see who created these, Who He who brings out their host by 125 00:07:20,440 --> 00:07:24,240 number, calling them all by name, by the greatness of His 126 00:07:24,240 --> 00:07:27,840 might, and because he is strong in power, not one is missing. 127 00:07:28,600 --> 00:07:32,360 Why do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, my way is 128 00:07:32,360 --> 00:07:35,560 hidden from the Lord, and my right is, My right is 129 00:07:35,560 --> 00:07:38,720 disregarded by my God. Have you not known? 130 00:07:39,040 --> 00:07:42,240 Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, 131 00:07:42,520 --> 00:07:44,360 the Creator of the ends of the earth. 132 00:07:44,840 --> 00:07:47,400 He does not faint or grow weary. His understanding is 133 00:07:47,400 --> 00:07:50,560 unsearchable. He gives power to the faint, and 134 00:07:50,560 --> 00:07:52,920 to him who has no might he increases strength. 135 00:07:53,720 --> 00:07:57,320 Even youths shall faint and be weary, and young men shall fall 136 00:07:57,320 --> 00:08:01,600 exhausted. But they who wait for the Lord 137 00:08:01,880 --> 00:08:05,480 shall renew their strength. They shall mount up with wings 138 00:08:05,480 --> 00:08:08,840 like eagles. They shall run and not be weary. 139 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:13,680 They shall walk and not faint. Let's pray together. 140 00:08:17,560 --> 00:08:21,000 Father, we thank You that Your Word stands forever and as we 141 00:08:21,000 --> 00:08:24,080 read this portion of it today, we ask that you would be at work 142 00:08:25,040 --> 00:08:27,960 right now, right here in this place, in our hearts and our 143 00:08:27,960 --> 00:08:31,600 minds, opening our hearts and minds to see what You want us to 144 00:08:31,600 --> 00:08:33,840 see from this portion of your word. 145 00:08:33,840 --> 00:08:35,880 Do it because we ask it in Jesus name. 146 00:08:36,720 --> 00:08:43,679 Amen. When I was 16 or 17 year old 147 00:08:43,720 --> 00:08:48,000 years old I got a summer job at Fred First Ford dealership in 148 00:08:48,000 --> 00:08:51,240 Richmond, IN. The owner was a man named Mr. 149 00:08:51,240 --> 00:08:54,240 Nottingham. He was a Christian man. 150 00:08:54,240 --> 00:08:56,800 He was a godly man in our community, was also a family 151 00:08:56,800 --> 00:09:00,800 friend and I was hired to do a bunch of odd jobs around the 152 00:09:00,800 --> 00:09:03,640 dealership. I painted the light poles in the 153 00:09:03,640 --> 00:09:06,200 parking lot. I cleaned out the drains in the 154 00:09:06,200 --> 00:09:09,920 maintenance garden, the garage, I cleaned out the bathrooms, I 155 00:09:09,920 --> 00:09:14,920 ran errands and I even cleaned out an old, old refrigerator. 156 00:09:16,400 --> 00:09:20,120 Kind of. I was the beginning part of the 157 00:09:20,120 --> 00:09:21,600 summer. It was one of the first tasks 158 00:09:21,600 --> 00:09:26,080 that I had been given to clean out this old refrigerator to de 159 00:09:26,080 --> 00:09:29,160 ice it. It was in the employees break 160 00:09:29,160 --> 00:09:35,800 room and I had a solid block of ice covering where the the dials 161 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:40,200 were for the temperature. So I went and got a hammer and a 162 00:09:40,200 --> 00:09:44,080 chisel from the tool supply area and I began chipping away at the 163 00:09:44,080 --> 00:09:46,800 ice near the dial on the refrigerator. 164 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:50,640 Finally I got all the way through the ice to the dial, was 165 00:09:50,640 --> 00:09:54,800 able to turn the dial off and let the freezer defrost. 166 00:09:54,800 --> 00:09:58,080 But then I quickly realized that with that much ice, it was going 167 00:09:58,080 --> 00:10:00,200 to take a really long time for it to melt. 168 00:10:01,160 --> 00:10:04,800 So I figured I would speed things up, started using the 169 00:10:04,800 --> 00:10:07,080 hammer and the chisel to chip away at the ice. 170 00:10:07,640 --> 00:10:11,920 And at one point I hit something with the chisel that didn't feel 171 00:10:11,920 --> 00:10:14,320 like ice and it made a funny sound. 172 00:10:14,320 --> 00:10:17,680 And then all of a sudden the ice started turning orange. 173 00:10:19,120 --> 00:10:24,560 And this liquid began spraying out of the freezer and onto the 174 00:10:24,560 --> 00:10:26,360 floor. And I grabbed A rag that I had 175 00:10:26,360 --> 00:10:30,920 nearby and I put it up to where it was spewing out and it was so 176 00:10:30,920 --> 00:10:34,080 hot I couldn't keep my hand there to to block it. 177 00:10:34,080 --> 00:10:40,800 And then I couldn't breathe. I had punctured the Freon coil 178 00:10:40,840 --> 00:10:45,720 of the refrigerator and liquid Freon was spraying out of the 179 00:10:45,720 --> 00:10:49,400 freezer into the room. I turned around to to get out of 180 00:10:49,400 --> 00:10:51,440 the room, to get out of the break room, and I opened the 181 00:10:51,440 --> 00:10:55,160 door that went into the office area of the car dealership. 182 00:10:56,160 --> 00:10:59,480 The cloud of Freon followed me into the office area and pretty 183 00:10:59,480 --> 00:11:01,960 soon none of the office workers could breathe either. 184 00:11:02,960 --> 00:11:06,040 We had to evacuate the entire area of the dealership. 185 00:11:06,040 --> 00:11:09,480 The fire department was called. They showed up in their hazmat 186 00:11:09,480 --> 00:11:12,080 suits. They wheeled the refrigerator 187 00:11:12,080 --> 00:11:15,520 out on a Dolly and set up these large box fans to clear out the 188 00:11:15,520 --> 00:11:18,880 Freon from the dealership. It probably took a couple of 189 00:11:18,880 --> 00:11:22,640 hours before the office workers could get back in to do their 190 00:11:22,920 --> 00:11:26,480 work. Mr. Nottingham came to find me. 191 00:11:27,440 --> 00:11:31,320 I was sitting on some steps in the garage area and the first 192 00:11:31,320 --> 00:11:34,720 thing he wanted to know was whether I was OK or not and I 193 00:11:34,720 --> 00:11:37,080 was. Then he asked me to explain what 194 00:11:37,080 --> 00:11:44,000 happened and I did, and then he said don't worry about it, don't 195 00:11:44,000 --> 00:11:48,480 worry about it, Take the rest of the day off, go home and rest 196 00:11:48,480 --> 00:11:52,040 and then come back tomorrow and we'll have more work for you to 197 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:54,760 do. Now Mr. Nottingham had no reason 198 00:11:54,760 --> 00:11:56,960 to trust me at that point. This was the beginning of the 199 00:11:56,960 --> 00:11:59,000 summer. In fact, I had given him a 200 00:11:59,000 --> 00:12:02,680 reason not to trust me, a good reason not to trust me. 201 00:12:02,680 --> 00:12:06,280 I had shut down his dealership in the middle of the day. 202 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:10,600 But Mr. Nottingham, being a believer and a godly man and a 203 00:12:10,600 --> 00:12:16,600 family friend, trusted me to come back to work and not blow 204 00:12:16,600 --> 00:12:19,320 something up or shut the dealership down again. 205 00:12:22,920 --> 00:12:29,720 Do you trust the Lord? Do you fully trust the Lord? 206 00:12:32,360 --> 00:12:34,920 Do you completely trust the Lord? 207 00:12:36,280 --> 00:12:39,600 We have every reason to trust Him, to trust His promises, to 208 00:12:39,600 --> 00:12:43,000 trust His Word, to trust His work and our lives. 209 00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:49,560 Unlike me with Mr. Nottingham, the Lord has never given us any 210 00:12:49,560 --> 00:12:54,720 reason not to trust Him, not to trust His promises or His Word 211 00:12:54,720 --> 00:12:57,520 or His work. Even when we've had hard and 212 00:12:57,520 --> 00:13:01,680 difficult and painful things in our lives, we still have every 213 00:13:01,720 --> 00:13:08,080 reason to trust the Lord, but we often fail to do so. 214 00:13:08,960 --> 00:13:14,680 We often find it very hard to trust the Lord and His Word. 215 00:13:15,440 --> 00:13:19,320 We often put our trust more in the things of this world than in 216 00:13:19,320 --> 00:13:21,600 the Creator and the King of this world. 217 00:13:21,960 --> 00:13:25,080 And in that way we are no different than the people who 218 00:13:25,200 --> 00:13:29,120 Isaiah was speaking to. They had every reason to trust 219 00:13:29,120 --> 00:13:33,400 the Lord, to fully trust Him, to trust His promises and His Word, 220 00:13:33,640 --> 00:13:36,960 But they failed to, again and again and again. 221 00:13:37,840 --> 00:13:40,960 As we move into the last half of the book of Isaiah, the words of 222 00:13:40,960 --> 00:13:47,080 Isaiah focus in on this truth that God's people can and must 223 00:13:47,160 --> 00:13:50,920 trust the Lord. As we'll see in chapters 40 224 00:13:50,920 --> 00:13:54,360 through 66, these words are written to God's people in the 225 00:13:54,360 --> 00:13:56,200 future who were going to be in exile. 226 00:13:56,800 --> 00:13:59,720 The northern Kingdom of Israel was taken into exile during 227 00:13:59,720 --> 00:14:03,080 Isaiah's ministry, but the southern Kingdom of Judah 228 00:14:03,080 --> 00:14:06,480 wouldn't be conquered and exiled until about 100 years after 229 00:14:06,480 --> 00:14:09,920 Isaiah's ministry. Through the supernatural work of 230 00:14:09,920 --> 00:14:13,720 the Holy Spirit guiding and leading Isaiah in his words, God 231 00:14:13,720 --> 00:14:17,920 was speaking hope and comfort to his people who were in exile, 232 00:14:18,240 --> 00:14:23,400 reminding them again and again they can trust the Lord. 233 00:14:23,760 --> 00:14:27,840 They must trust the Lord even though they had been removed 234 00:14:27,840 --> 00:14:30,320 from the Promised Land, even though they were living in 235 00:14:30,320 --> 00:14:34,320 exile, even though they were living under harsh foreign and 236 00:14:34,320 --> 00:14:38,640 Pagan nations, even though life was hard and difficult and 237 00:14:38,640 --> 00:14:43,360 painful. They can and they must trust the 238 00:14:43,360 --> 00:14:46,280 Lord in his promises. That's really the message of 239 00:14:46,280 --> 00:14:49,560 Isaiah chapter 40. Let's look at this chapter and 240 00:14:49,560 --> 00:14:53,480 see the reasons why God's people can trust the Lord. 241 00:14:53,480 --> 00:14:56,080 We'll see at least three. First of all, it's because God 242 00:14:56,080 --> 00:14:59,080 loves his people. Secondly, it's because God is 243 00:14:59,120 --> 00:15:03,480 able to keep his promises. And thirdly, it's because God is 244 00:15:03,480 --> 00:15:09,920 at work in his people. So first of all, why can God's 245 00:15:09,920 --> 00:15:12,640 people trust him? It's because God loves his 246 00:15:12,640 --> 00:15:15,200 people. Now you can imagine the folks 247 00:15:15,200 --> 00:15:18,480 that were in exile wondering, does God even care about us 248 00:15:18,480 --> 00:15:21,040 anymore? Yes, He said He was going to 249 00:15:21,040 --> 00:15:24,640 keep a remnant of us and bring us back from exile and restore 250 00:15:24,640 --> 00:15:27,800 us. But does he even want to do that 251 00:15:27,800 --> 00:15:29,600 anymore? Does He even care about us 252 00:15:29,600 --> 00:15:32,800 anymore? And the 1st 11 verses of chapter 253 00:15:32,800 --> 00:15:36,680 40 answer that question. Yes, you can trust the Lord in 254 00:15:36,680 --> 00:15:39,960 His promises, because the Lord loves His people. 255 00:15:40,440 --> 00:15:44,160 Look at verses 1 and 2. They're told a time is coming 256 00:15:44,160 --> 00:15:48,280 when judgment will be over, when restoration will take place, 257 00:15:48,480 --> 00:15:52,640 when warfare will be ended. Iniquity will be pardoned. 258 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:56,200 The penalty for sin will be covered thoroughly. 259 00:15:56,960 --> 00:16:00,040 There will be double comfort for God's people. 260 00:16:01,200 --> 00:16:04,360 Verses 3 through 5. The restoration of God's people 261 00:16:04,360 --> 00:16:08,320 will come from the Lord himself. He loves his people so much He 262 00:16:08,320 --> 00:16:11,320 would roll up his sleeves and intervene on their behalf. 263 00:16:12,280 --> 00:16:16,040 The way in the desert between the people in exile and their 264 00:16:16,040 --> 00:16:18,360 home in the Promised Land would be made straight. 265 00:16:19,080 --> 00:16:22,720 A highway for God's people to return and be restored will be 266 00:16:22,720 --> 00:16:26,080 prepared, it says. No obstacles will be in the way. 267 00:16:26,080 --> 00:16:30,040 Valleys will be filled in, and mountains and hills will be made 268 00:16:30,040 --> 00:16:33,160 low. Any difficult terrain will be 269 00:16:33,160 --> 00:16:37,120 made into a flat plain. Uneven ground will be made 270 00:16:37,120 --> 00:16:39,640 level. The Lord himself will restore 271 00:16:39,640 --> 00:16:43,120 his people and reveal his glory, and everyone will see it, He 272 00:16:43,120 --> 00:16:45,480 says. And we can trust that this is 273 00:16:45,480 --> 00:16:47,200 true, because it comes from His mouth. 274 00:16:49,160 --> 00:16:53,720 Verses 6 through 8 No human power or force, no condition of 275 00:16:53,720 --> 00:16:57,160 this world can prevent the fulfillment of God's promises. 276 00:16:57,800 --> 00:17:02,080 Human flesh is like grass. It's beauty is like a flower. 277 00:17:02,400 --> 00:17:05,920 The Lord breathes on it and the grass Withers and the flowers 278 00:17:05,920 --> 00:17:08,760 fade. No human flesh can thwart the 279 00:17:08,760 --> 00:17:11,319 plans and the promises of the Lord. 280 00:17:11,920 --> 00:17:17,359 His Word will stand forever. Verses 9 through 11 Remember 281 00:17:17,359 --> 00:17:18,960 that the Lord is the Good Shepherd. 282 00:17:19,040 --> 00:17:23,640 He tends his flock, He gathers his lambs, He carries them and 283 00:17:23,640 --> 00:17:27,480 he tells them, proclaim it to the people with a strong voice, 284 00:17:28,280 --> 00:17:30,160 point them to the promises of the Lord. 285 00:17:30,760 --> 00:17:34,000 The Lord comes with might, He comes with an arm that rules for 286 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:36,440 him. He comes with reward and 287 00:17:36,440 --> 00:17:40,000 recompense. Why can you trust the Lord? 288 00:17:40,760 --> 00:17:43,960 Why must you trust the Lord? Because the Lord loves his 289 00:17:43,960 --> 00:17:45,920 people. He hasn't forgotten them, He 290 00:17:45,920 --> 00:17:48,560 hasn't forsaken them even while they are in exile. 291 00:17:49,200 --> 00:17:53,040 He's coming for them to restore them, to bring them to comfort, 292 00:17:54,080 --> 00:17:57,320 and He will do it himself because He's their shepherd. 293 00:17:58,280 --> 00:18:02,160 They are His sheep, and He will tend and care for them. 294 00:18:02,440 --> 00:18:05,400 You can trust the Lord because He loves His people. 295 00:18:06,320 --> 00:18:09,200 Secondly, God's people can trust the Lord. 296 00:18:09,320 --> 00:18:12,360 They can trust His promises. They can trust His word because 297 00:18:12,360 --> 00:18:15,000 He's able. He's capable of keeping His 298 00:18:15,000 --> 00:18:18,680 promises. Now, to prove that, Isaiah turns 299 00:18:18,680 --> 00:18:21,480 to the fact that the Lord is the Lord over all of creation. 300 00:18:21,720 --> 00:18:25,600 Look at verses 12 through 14. He begins, but with a series of 301 00:18:25,600 --> 00:18:29,440 rhetorical questions to show the power, the strength, the 302 00:18:29,440 --> 00:18:33,000 uniqueness of the Lord. Who can hold the waters of the 303 00:18:33,040 --> 00:18:37,440 earth in the hollow of his hand? Who can measure the heavens? 304 00:18:37,920 --> 00:18:39,960 Who can measure the dust of the earth? 305 00:18:40,680 --> 00:18:43,760 Who can weigh the mountains and the hills of the earth in a 306 00:18:43,760 --> 00:18:47,200 balance? Who can measure the Holy Spirit? 307 00:18:47,720 --> 00:18:49,480 Who can give counsel to the Spirit? 308 00:18:49,720 --> 00:18:52,840 Who is wise enough to have the Holy Spirit consult with them? 309 00:18:53,520 --> 00:18:55,720 Who can teach the Holy Spirit knowledge or give him 310 00:18:55,720 --> 00:19:00,040 understanding? Verses 15 to 17 The most 311 00:19:00,040 --> 00:19:03,000 powerful, the most influential nations of the world. 312 00:19:03,120 --> 00:19:06,800 There is of nothing to the Lord. They're like a drop of water 313 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:09,640 from a bucket, like dust on scales. 314 00:19:10,280 --> 00:19:12,680 Great. And many trees of Lebanon can't 315 00:19:12,680 --> 00:19:15,680 suffice for the fuel that the Lord can provide. 316 00:19:16,920 --> 00:19:20,040 If we rounded up all of the animals of Lebanon, it wouldn't 317 00:19:20,040 --> 00:19:22,640 be enough for the sacrifices that are worthy of the Lord. 318 00:19:22,840 --> 00:19:26,520 This is how big God is. This is how powerful God is, how 319 00:19:26,520 --> 00:19:30,560 capable God is. He is able to keep His promises. 320 00:19:31,720 --> 00:19:35,320 Verses 18 through 20. To whom can we liken God? 321 00:19:35,520 --> 00:19:38,760 What likeness compares with him? An idol. 322 00:19:40,160 --> 00:19:43,720 That's ridiculous. Isaiah says an idol is just 323 00:19:43,720 --> 00:19:45,400 something that is made with human hands. 324 00:19:45,400 --> 00:19:48,960 It can't even move. No idol can compare with the 325 00:19:48,960 --> 00:19:52,520 transcendent, all powerful, mighty God of Israel. 326 00:19:53,280 --> 00:19:57,520 He is the one who is fully capable of keeping His promises. 327 00:19:58,880 --> 00:20:02,080 And then in verses 21 through 26, Isaiah essentially double s 328 00:20:02,080 --> 00:20:04,640 down and says the same truths again. 329 00:20:05,400 --> 00:20:08,800 Verses 21 and 22, the Lord is transcended and He rules over 330 00:20:08,800 --> 00:20:13,720 nature. Verses 22 and 2023 and 24 The 331 00:20:13,720 --> 00:20:16,440 Lord is transcended and He rules over the nations. 332 00:20:17,080 --> 00:20:20,080 Princess and rulers and kings are nothing to him. 333 00:20:20,960 --> 00:20:24,200 Verses 25 and 26 To whom can we compare the Lord? 334 00:20:24,520 --> 00:20:27,720 Look up into the heavens. Look at the heavenly beings, 335 00:20:27,960 --> 00:20:31,520 even they were created by our God and he calls them by name. 336 00:20:32,800 --> 00:20:35,840 This is how great and powerful the Lord is. 337 00:20:36,080 --> 00:20:40,680 So can you trust the Lord? Yes, you can trust Him because 338 00:20:40,680 --> 00:20:43,360 He loves His people. And yes, you can trust Him 339 00:20:44,760 --> 00:20:48,040 because he is able to keep his promises. 340 00:20:49,800 --> 00:20:55,000 But thirdly, God's people can trust the Lord because he's at 341 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:58,960 work in US. And notice this section that 342 00:20:58,960 --> 00:21:03,440 starts in verse 27. Notice that the section starts 343 00:21:03,440 --> 00:21:06,280 with a mistaken belief that God's people were tempted to 344 00:21:06,280 --> 00:21:14,800 have while they were in exile to the right passage here. 27 Why 345 00:21:14,800 --> 00:21:19,600 do you say, O Jacob, and speak, O Israel, my way is hidden from 346 00:21:19,600 --> 00:21:23,000 the Lord, and my right is disregarded by my God? 347 00:21:23,840 --> 00:21:27,400 This is a sense of the people in exile asking, Why are my ways 348 00:21:27,400 --> 00:21:30,240 hidden from the Lord? Why is he disregarding me? 349 00:21:30,240 --> 00:21:34,000 Why is he not with me? Why isn't the Lord at work in 350 00:21:34,000 --> 00:21:36,680 me, making right all of the things that are wrong that I'm 351 00:21:36,680 --> 00:21:40,080 experiencing? Do you see the answer that 352 00:21:40,080 --> 00:21:42,480 Isaiah gives? Don't you know? 353 00:21:43,760 --> 00:21:47,920 Haven't you heard the Lord? He says, and it's all capitals 354 00:21:47,920 --> 00:21:51,280 in your Bibles. That means it's the word Yahweh, 355 00:21:51,520 --> 00:21:55,440 the Lord God, Yahweh, our covenant keeping God is 356 00:21:55,440 --> 00:21:58,200 everlasting. He is the creator of all 357 00:21:58,200 --> 00:22:01,160 creation. Our God does not faint, He 358 00:22:01,160 --> 00:22:04,240 doesn't get weary, He doesn't get tired, He doesn't need to 359 00:22:04,240 --> 00:22:07,920 rest, and his understanding and knowledge is unsearchable. 360 00:22:08,040 --> 00:22:10,800 There's nothing that he doesn't know or understand. 361 00:22:11,080 --> 00:22:13,280 There's nothing that we need to explain to him. 362 00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:15,760 He knows us. He knows our condition, our 363 00:22:15,760 --> 00:22:21,240 context, and our hardships. And he goes on to say God is at 364 00:22:21,240 --> 00:22:26,320 work in his people. How verse 29, He's at work 365 00:22:26,320 --> 00:22:29,840 giving power to the weak. He's at work giving strength to 366 00:22:29,840 --> 00:22:33,680 those who need it. Verse 30, he says even young 367 00:22:33,680 --> 00:22:37,720 people who have lots of energy, who who can go and go and go, 368 00:22:37,720 --> 00:22:41,320 eventually they're going to get tired and weary and exhaustive, 369 00:22:41,560 --> 00:22:44,840 exhausted. But in verse 31, those who wait 370 00:22:44,840 --> 00:22:49,760 for the Lord, those who trust the Lord, the Lord is at work 371 00:22:50,560 --> 00:22:53,760 renewing their strength. The Lord is at work making them 372 00:22:53,760 --> 00:22:57,720 fly like eagles. The Lord is at work enabling 373 00:22:57,720 --> 00:23:03,120 them to walk and to run and not grow tired or weary or faint. 374 00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:08,200 Can you trust the Lord? You can trust Him because He's 375 00:23:08,200 --> 00:23:15,280 at work in His people. God's people have every reason 376 00:23:15,280 --> 00:23:18,640 to trust the Lord fully trust Him completely trust Him 377 00:23:18,640 --> 00:23:21,720 consistently. Trust Him to trust His Word and 378 00:23:21,720 --> 00:23:23,600 His promises. Because He loves us. 379 00:23:23,760 --> 00:23:26,520 He is completely capable of keeping His promises that He's 380 00:23:26,520 --> 00:23:29,080 made to us, and He is at work in US. 381 00:23:30,520 --> 00:23:33,720 That's true for God's people in exile in the days of the Old 382 00:23:33,720 --> 00:23:36,240 Testament. They had every reason to trust 383 00:23:36,240 --> 00:23:38,440 him, and it's true for God's people today. 384 00:23:40,520 --> 00:23:43,840 So the question that we have to reflect on, the question that we 385 00:23:43,840 --> 00:23:48,480 have to ask ourselves as we leave today, do you trust the 386 00:23:48,480 --> 00:23:58,720 Lord fully, completely, with all of your heart, with all of your 387 00:23:58,720 --> 00:24:04,680 soul, with all of your mind? And here's the thing, we have 388 00:24:04,680 --> 00:24:09,040 even greater reason to trust the Lord with all of who we are than 389 00:24:09,040 --> 00:24:12,480 the people who received these words at first, because we know 390 00:24:12,480 --> 00:24:16,760 the rest of the story. The Lord had told His people 391 00:24:16,920 --> 00:24:19,680 that He would never forsake them, that He would come for 392 00:24:19,680 --> 00:24:23,360 them, that He would restore them, that one day he would send 393 00:24:23,360 --> 00:24:27,520 his great Messiah not just to rescue them from exile, but to 394 00:24:27,520 --> 00:24:31,760 rescue them from themselves, to do a work that would pay for 395 00:24:31,760 --> 00:24:35,040 their sins, to cover their iniquity forever. 396 00:24:35,640 --> 00:24:37,560 And we know the rest of the story. 397 00:24:38,480 --> 00:24:41,680 That Messiah came in the person and work of Jesus. 398 00:24:42,680 --> 00:24:46,800 Jesus came into this world and lived a life of perfect love for 399 00:24:46,800 --> 00:24:51,000 his Father, a life of perfect obedience to his Father. 400 00:24:51,640 --> 00:24:55,760 And then he willingly, he, he graciously, he mercifully gave 401 00:24:55,760 --> 00:24:59,560 up his life on the cross. He took the wrath and the 402 00:24:59,560 --> 00:25:03,720 judgment of God that we deserve to get, and he took it on 403 00:25:03,720 --> 00:25:07,600 himself so that we would never have to experience it. 404 00:25:08,200 --> 00:25:11,320 And he paid for it in full through his death on the cross. 405 00:25:11,560 --> 00:25:16,040 And then we are given the righteousness of Jesus, His 406 00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:20,000 perfect righteousness, such that we are called the righteousness 407 00:25:20,000 --> 00:25:24,800 of God because of Christ. The Lord said He would do that. 408 00:25:26,160 --> 00:25:28,800 He said that all the way back in the Garden of Eden to our first 409 00:25:28,800 --> 00:25:31,920 parents, Adam and Eve. He promised that He would 410 00:25:31,920 --> 00:25:36,320 provide a solution for the fall, a solution for our sin, a 411 00:25:36,320 --> 00:25:38,920 solution for our broken relationship with God. 412 00:25:39,120 --> 00:25:41,640 He promised that He would restore us to a right 413 00:25:41,640 --> 00:25:45,480 relationship with Himself. He promised that He would secure 414 00:25:45,600 --> 00:25:49,920 eternal and eternal inheritance for us that would never fade or 415 00:25:49,920 --> 00:25:52,840 go away. He promised that He would 416 00:25:52,840 --> 00:25:57,600 conquer death and sin. And He did everything that He 417 00:25:57,600 --> 00:26:01,520 promised through the coming and the living and the dying and the 418 00:26:01,520 --> 00:26:04,560 resurrecting and the ascending of Jesus. 419 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:12,320 Do you trust the Lord? Do you trust the Lord? 420 00:26:13,440 --> 00:26:16,160 We have every reason to trust Him. 421 00:26:18,760 --> 00:26:23,040 He loves us as His people, and He's demonstrated that love in 422 00:26:23,040 --> 00:26:26,360 so many ways, supremely in the person, in the work of Jesus. 423 00:26:28,600 --> 00:26:31,200 We can trust Him because he's fully capable of keeping his 424 00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:36,280 promises that he's made to us. We can trust Him because he's at 425 00:26:36,280 --> 00:26:39,760 work enough, strengthening us, sustaining and preserving us, 426 00:26:40,440 --> 00:26:43,000 filling us with his peace and with his comfort. 427 00:26:44,120 --> 00:26:52,400 So as we finish today, what is something in your life right now 428 00:26:53,080 --> 00:26:55,480 about which you need to trust the Lord? 429 00:26:57,360 --> 00:26:58,560 That's not a rhetorical question. 430 00:26:58,560 --> 00:27:00,000 I want you to actually think of something. 431 00:27:02,440 --> 00:27:06,920 What is something right now about which you need to trust 432 00:27:07,680 --> 00:27:12,280 the Lord? Maybe it's that His ways and His 433 00:27:12,280 --> 00:27:16,960 Word are better than giving in to some sin that tempts you. 434 00:27:19,280 --> 00:27:23,040 Maybe it's that He will give you strength that you need to get 435 00:27:23,040 --> 00:27:25,600 through physical challenges that you're experiencing. 436 00:27:27,800 --> 00:27:30,800 Maybe it is that He knows and cares for you as His heart 437 00:27:30,800 --> 00:27:34,640 breaks over adult children who have walked away from the Lord. 438 00:27:37,760 --> 00:27:40,160 Maybe it's that He will provide for your physical needs. 439 00:27:42,440 --> 00:27:45,280 Maybe that He will be at work through His Word and means of 440 00:27:45,280 --> 00:27:50,280 grace to strengthen your faith. Maybe that He knows and He cares 441 00:27:50,280 --> 00:27:52,120 for you and He will give you the strength if you're in a 442 00:27:52,120 --> 00:27:56,840 difficult marriage. Maybe that the gates of hell 443 00:27:56,840 --> 00:27:59,520 will never prevail over the Lord's church, no matter how 444 00:27:59,520 --> 00:28:05,600 dark and evil the world seems. Maybe that fighting and leaning 445 00:28:05,600 --> 00:28:08,880 against sin and rooting it out of your life is better, always 446 00:28:08,880 --> 00:28:12,840 better, than giving into it. What is something in your life 447 00:28:12,840 --> 00:28:19,040 right now about what you need to trust the Lord because He is 448 00:28:19,040 --> 00:28:23,160 worthy of your trust. He loves you. 449 00:28:24,800 --> 00:28:28,160 He is fully capable of keeping all of His promises that He's 450 00:28:28,160 --> 00:28:31,520 made, and He's at work inside of you. 451 00:28:33,360 --> 00:28:42,270 Let's pray together. Father, we confess that it is so 452 00:28:42,270 --> 00:28:48,910 easy to not trust you. It is so easy to put our trust 453 00:28:48,950 --> 00:28:56,280 and other things and other people, and in as much as we do 454 00:28:56,280 --> 00:28:57,880 that, we pray you would forgive us. 455 00:28:59,040 --> 00:29:01,600 We thank You for Your word that it stands forever. 456 00:29:02,800 --> 00:29:06,800 Bring us back to it again and again and again where you show 457 00:29:06,800 --> 00:29:11,600 us, You prove to us. You point us to the truth and 458 00:29:11,600 --> 00:29:17,320 the reality that you are the God to be trusted and that trusting 459 00:29:17,320 --> 00:29:22,760 in You is what is good for us, what will cause us to flourish, 460 00:29:22,760 --> 00:29:26,960 what will cause us to follow you the way that you want us to. 461 00:29:29,000 --> 00:29:31,840 As we come to the Lord's Supper, we pray that you would feed us 462 00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:36,480 from the Lord's Supper, reminding us that you are fully 463 00:29:36,480 --> 00:29:40,080 worthy of our trust, demonstrated in the Lord's body 464 00:29:40,360 --> 00:29:43,920 and His blood. All this we pray in Jesus name, 465 00:29:44,800 --> 00:29:45,160 Amen.