1 00:00:00,040 --> 00:00:02,040 I'd like you to take your Bibles and turn with me to the Old 2 00:00:02,040 --> 00:00:07,400 Testament book of Isaiah. You can find our page, our 3 00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:11,520 passage, which is Isaiah 63, beginning in verse 7 down 4 00:00:11,520 --> 00:00:15,760 through the end of verse 64, chapter 64. 5 00:00:15,760 --> 00:00:19,400 You can find that on page 622 in the red Bibles around you as 6 00:00:19,400 --> 00:00:21,600 you're turning there. Can I just give you a snapshot 7 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:25,800 of the next few weeks and what we'll be doing next Sunday? 8 00:00:25,800 --> 00:00:30,680 Pastor Steve will be covering Isaiah chapter 65, and then the 9 00:00:30,680 --> 00:00:35,440 following Sunday, which is the 24th, I will be covering Isaiah 10 00:00:35,440 --> 00:00:38,560 66, our last book. That'll be our first Sunday of 11 00:00:38,560 --> 00:00:41,080 our summer schedule. I will have one combined worship 12 00:00:41,080 --> 00:00:45,240 service at 10 AM and we'll finish our study of the book of 13 00:00:45,240 --> 00:00:48,440 Isaiah on the 24th. Then for the rest of the summer, 14 00:00:48,440 --> 00:00:50,400 we're going to work our way through the 10 commandments, 15 00:00:51,000 --> 00:00:53,400 different commandment each Sunday that will take some time 16 00:00:53,400 --> 00:00:56,760 to reflect on and see how it applies into our lives. 17 00:00:57,560 --> 00:01:02,720 For today, we're looking at Isaiah chapter 63, picking up 18 00:01:02,720 --> 00:01:05,960 where we left off last week. I'll begin reading in verse 7 19 00:01:06,360 --> 00:01:08,720 all the way down through the end of chapter 64. 20 00:01:08,720 --> 00:01:13,040 And if you were here last week, quite a contrast today with the 21 00:01:13,040 --> 00:01:16,560 passage that we read last week, Isaiah 63. 22 00:01:16,560 --> 00:01:20,960 Beginning in verse seven, I will recount the steadfast love of 23 00:01:20,960 --> 00:01:24,600 the Lord, the praises of the Lord according to all that the 24 00:01:24,600 --> 00:01:28,400 Lord has granted us, and the great goodness to the House of 25 00:01:28,400 --> 00:01:31,840 Israel that He has granted them according to His compassion, 26 00:01:32,480 --> 00:01:35,640 according to the abundance of His steadfast love. 27 00:01:36,720 --> 00:01:40,240 For he said, surely they are my people, children, who will not 28 00:01:40,240 --> 00:01:43,080 deal falsely. And he became their Saviour. 29 00:01:44,080 --> 00:01:47,560 In all their affliction He was afflicted, and the Angel of the 30 00:01:47,560 --> 00:01:51,520 Presence, The Angel of His Presence saved them and His 31 00:01:51,520 --> 00:01:53,840 love, and in His pity He redeemed them. 32 00:01:54,120 --> 00:01:58,680 He lifted them up and carried them all the days of old, but 33 00:01:58,680 --> 00:02:01,160 they rebelled and grieved His Holy Spirit. 34 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:04,440 Therefore He turned to be their enemy, and Himself fought 35 00:02:04,440 --> 00:02:07,440 against them. Then He remembered the days of 36 00:02:07,440 --> 00:02:11,080 old, of Moses and His people. Where is He who brought them? 37 00:02:11,240 --> 00:02:13,680 Up out of the sea with the shepherds of His flock? 38 00:02:14,160 --> 00:02:18,040 Where is He who put in the midst of them His Holy Spirit, Who 39 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:21,560 caused his glorious arm to go at the right hand of Moses, who 40 00:02:21,560 --> 00:02:24,360 divided the waters before them to make for himself an 41 00:02:24,360 --> 00:02:27,240 everlasting name? Who led them through the depths 42 00:02:27,880 --> 00:02:30,160 like a horse in the desert they did not stumble. 43 00:02:30,840 --> 00:02:32,960 Like livestock, they go down into the valley. 44 00:02:32,960 --> 00:02:35,400 The Spirit of the Lord gave them rest. 45 00:02:36,160 --> 00:02:39,520 So you led your people to make for yourself a glorious name. 46 00:02:40,520 --> 00:02:44,320 Look down from heaven and see from your holy and beautiful 47 00:02:44,320 --> 00:02:46,840 habitation. Where are your zeal and your 48 00:02:46,840 --> 00:02:49,600 might? The stirring of your inner parts 49 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:52,040 and your compassion are held back from me. 50 00:02:52,920 --> 00:02:56,760 For You are our Father, though Abraham does not know us and 51 00:02:56,760 --> 00:03:00,320 Israel does not acknowledge us. You, O Lord, are our Father. 52 00:03:00,440 --> 00:03:02,600 Our Redeemer from of old is your name. 53 00:03:03,520 --> 00:03:06,840 O Lord, why did you make us wander from your ways and harden 54 00:03:06,840 --> 00:03:10,200 our heart so that we fear You not return? 55 00:03:10,200 --> 00:03:13,360 For the sake of your servants, the tribes of your heritage, 56 00:03:13,920 --> 00:03:16,440 Your holy people, held possession for a little while. 57 00:03:16,880 --> 00:03:19,320 Our adversaries have trampled down your sanctuary. 58 00:03:19,880 --> 00:03:23,600 We have become like those over whom you have never ruled, like 59 00:03:23,600 --> 00:03:26,400 those who are not called by Your name. 60 00:03:27,480 --> 00:03:30,280 Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the 61 00:03:30,280 --> 00:03:34,080 mountains might quake at your presence, as when fire Kindles 62 00:03:34,080 --> 00:03:37,080 brushwood and the fire causes water to boil. 63 00:03:37,640 --> 00:03:40,360 To make Your name known to your adversaries, and that the 64 00:03:40,360 --> 00:03:42,920 nations might tremble at your presence. 65 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:46,360 When you did awesome things that we did not look for. 66 00:03:46,360 --> 00:03:50,560 You came down the mountains, quaked at your presence from of 67 00:03:50,560 --> 00:03:52,400 old. No one has heard or perceived by 68 00:03:52,400 --> 00:03:54,600 the ear. No eye has seen a God besides 69 00:03:54,600 --> 00:03:57,080 you who acts for those who wait for Him. 70 00:03:57,720 --> 00:04:00,240 You meet Him who joyfully works righteousness. 71 00:04:00,400 --> 00:04:02,200 Those who remember you in your ways. 72 00:04:02,720 --> 00:04:06,120 Behold, you were angry, and we sinned in our sins. 73 00:04:06,120 --> 00:04:09,240 We have been a long time, and shall we be saved? 74 00:04:10,520 --> 00:04:14,240 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our 75 00:04:14,240 --> 00:04:16,560 righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. 76 00:04:17,200 --> 00:04:20,839 We all fade like a leaf, and our iniquities like the wind take us 77 00:04:20,839 --> 00:04:23,480 away. There is no one who calls upon 78 00:04:23,480 --> 00:04:27,000 your name, who rouses himself to take hold of You, for You have 79 00:04:27,000 --> 00:04:30,120 hidden your face from us and have made us melt in the hand of 80 00:04:30,120 --> 00:04:33,960 our iniquities. But now, O Lord, you are our 81 00:04:33,960 --> 00:04:37,440 Father, we are the clay, and You are our Potter. 82 00:04:37,880 --> 00:04:39,680 We are all the work of your hand. 83 00:04:40,160 --> 00:04:44,000 Be not so terribly angry, O Lord, and remember not iniquity 84 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:47,160 forever. Behold, please look, we are all 85 00:04:47,160 --> 00:04:50,320 your people. Your whole holy cities have 86 00:04:50,320 --> 00:04:53,160 become a wilderness. Zion has become a wilderness, 87 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:57,160 Jerusalem a desolation. Our holy and beautiful house, 88 00:04:57,160 --> 00:05:00,720 where our fathers praised you, has been burned by fire, and all 89 00:05:00,720 --> 00:05:02,800 our pleasant places have become ruins. 90 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:06,920 Will you restrain yourself at these things? 91 00:05:06,920 --> 00:05:10,800 O Lord? Will you keep silence and 92 00:05:10,800 --> 00:05:15,880 afflict us so terribly? Let's pray together. 93 00:05:19,880 --> 00:05:22,160 Father, we do thank you for this portion of Your word. 94 00:05:22,160 --> 00:05:25,320 And we pray, as we do so often, that the Holy Spirit would be at 95 00:05:25,320 --> 00:05:29,000 work in these very moments as we read your word, as we take some 96 00:05:29,000 --> 00:05:32,680 moment, some some moments to meditate upon it, to consider 97 00:05:32,680 --> 00:05:37,320 it, to ponder it, We pray that you prepare our hearts and minds 98 00:05:37,320 --> 00:05:39,560 to receive it. And Father, we pray that through 99 00:05:39,560 --> 00:05:42,600 the work of the Spirit, you would change us even in these 100 00:05:42,600 --> 00:05:45,280 very moments. For we ask it in Jesus name, 101 00:05:46,000 --> 00:05:52,520 Amen. Well, as history teaches us, the 102 00:05:52,520 --> 00:05:56,640 plague, or what's called the Black Death impacted Europe in 103 00:05:56,640 --> 00:06:00,600 the 14th and 15th and 16th centuries in dramatic ways. 104 00:06:01,160 --> 00:06:03,920 It was devastating. It decimated the population. 105 00:06:03,920 --> 00:06:06,280 People lived with incredible fear. 106 00:06:06,960 --> 00:06:12,000 And in 1527, in the city of Wittenberg in Germany, the city 107 00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:14,120 was overwhelmed with the disease. 108 00:06:15,120 --> 00:06:19,640 People lived in fear. There were carts of dead bodies 109 00:06:19,640 --> 00:06:22,040 that rolled through the city streets every day. 110 00:06:22,680 --> 00:06:25,960 Family members buried family members, parents buried 111 00:06:25,960 --> 00:06:30,240 children. And Christians wondered, where's 112 00:06:30,240 --> 00:06:33,720 God? Where's God in all of this? 113 00:06:33,720 --> 00:06:36,840 Has he forsaken us? Has he abandoned us? 114 00:06:37,960 --> 00:06:40,880 That thought even came to the mind of a relatively young 115 00:06:40,880 --> 00:06:43,560 pastor in Wittenberg, Martin Luther. 116 00:06:44,760 --> 00:06:48,000 Luther and his wife, Catherine, had remained in the city to 117 00:06:48,000 --> 00:06:50,760 minister to those who were sick and those in need. 118 00:06:50,760 --> 00:06:52,640 They knew it could even cost their lives. 119 00:06:53,840 --> 00:06:57,240 During that time, Luther was known to sit by himself in 120 00:06:57,240 --> 00:07:00,440 silence for long periods of time, wrestling with despair, 121 00:07:00,800 --> 00:07:02,840 spiritual darkness, and depression. 122 00:07:03,320 --> 00:07:06,680 He wrote during that time that he felt that God was hidden, 123 00:07:07,360 --> 00:07:10,920 that his promises felt distant, that his prayers were 124 00:07:10,920 --> 00:07:15,000 unanswered. God seemed silent, and he 125 00:07:15,000 --> 00:07:17,240 wondered, has he abandoned his people? 126 00:07:19,400 --> 00:07:23,800 That was also the exact time that Luther wrote A mighty 127 00:07:23,800 --> 00:07:29,360 fortress is our God, a mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark, 128 00:07:29,960 --> 00:07:32,640 never failing. Now, he didn't write that him 129 00:07:32,640 --> 00:07:36,960 after the plague was over. He wrote it in the midst of it, 130 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:41,800 in the midst of suffering and doubts and uncertainty. 131 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:45,640 And I think Isaiah understood something about this as well. 132 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:48,800 He prophesied too, and he watched Israel be taken away 133 00:07:48,800 --> 00:07:52,080 into exile. He preached to Judah about the 134 00:07:52,080 --> 00:07:55,560 judgment that was coming to them if they did not repent and turn 135 00:07:55,560 --> 00:07:59,400 back to the Lord. He prophesied in great detail 136 00:07:59,400 --> 00:08:02,680 about what they would experience in exile in Babylon. 137 00:08:03,480 --> 00:08:06,560 Isaiah no doubt experienced loneliness and sadness and 138 00:08:06,560 --> 00:08:09,160 alienation. And even as he was preaching 139 00:08:09,160 --> 00:08:12,720 God's word to God's people, he had to wonder, where is God in 140 00:08:12,720 --> 00:08:17,600 all of this? Certainly the people of God 141 00:08:17,600 --> 00:08:19,560 wondered that as they sat in exile. 142 00:08:20,440 --> 00:08:23,000 And so for the question, the question for us today is, how 143 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:25,480 should God's people respond in moments like that? 144 00:08:27,480 --> 00:08:30,800 What are we supposed to remember about our God in moments about 145 00:08:30,800 --> 00:08:35,120 that like that? How should we pray and talk to 146 00:08:35,120 --> 00:08:38,880 God when we're experiencing and feeling those thoughts? 147 00:08:40,880 --> 00:08:44,800 Isaiah 63 and 64 gives us the answer. 148 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:48,800 Let's look and see what we learn about the God that we pray to 149 00:08:51,160 --> 00:08:55,240 and the prayers that we ask. And then we'll finish by asking, 150 00:08:55,240 --> 00:08:59,160 So what? So first, the God we pray to 151 00:08:59,600 --> 00:09:02,840 these verses that we've read, Isaiah 63, verse 7 through the 152 00:09:02,840 --> 00:09:06,560 end of chapter 64. This is essentially a prayer 153 00:09:07,040 --> 00:09:12,160 seemingly from Isaiah himself. And how does Isaiah start this 154 00:09:12,160 --> 00:09:15,040 prayer? He starts by remembering the God 155 00:09:15,040 --> 00:09:17,760 to whom he prays. Look at verse 7. 156 00:09:18,360 --> 00:09:20,960 He speaks about the covenant love of God. 157 00:09:21,200 --> 00:09:25,080 He begins remembering God's covenant love for His people. 158 00:09:25,320 --> 00:09:29,880 Notice that the verse 7 begins and ends with the steadfast love 159 00:09:30,120 --> 00:09:32,640 of the Lord. That's that little Hebrew word 160 00:09:32,840 --> 00:09:35,720 hesed. It's a special. 161 00:09:35,800 --> 00:09:37,800 It's an important word in the Bible. 162 00:09:37,800 --> 00:09:42,320 It refers to God's faithful, permanent, and special love for 163 00:09:42,320 --> 00:09:46,960 His people demonstrated in the covenant relationship with the 164 00:09:46,960 --> 00:09:51,720 He established with them. And notice Isaiah remembers 3 165 00:09:51,720 --> 00:09:55,440 specific things about God's steadfast covenant love here. 166 00:09:56,480 --> 00:10:00,280 It's not just something that the Lord says, it's something that's 167 00:10:00,280 --> 00:10:04,000 been displayed in action. It's according to all that He 168 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:05,600 has granted us. He says. 169 00:10:06,800 --> 00:10:10,760 He says it's abundant and full of goodness according to the 170 00:10:10,760 --> 00:10:14,520 abundance of his steadfast love, according to all that the Lord 171 00:10:14,520 --> 00:10:20,120 has granted this great goodness. And notice it's a love that 172 00:10:20,120 --> 00:10:21,880 comes from the very heart of God. 173 00:10:23,440 --> 00:10:27,600 It's from his compassion. This is the first thing that 174 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:30,400 Isaiah reminds himself as he begins to pray. 175 00:10:30,760 --> 00:10:34,560 He reminds himself of the covenant love of his God. 176 00:10:36,520 --> 00:10:39,600 But as we come to verses 8:00 and 9:00, he also reminds 177 00:10:39,600 --> 00:10:42,360 himself of the commitment that God made to His people. 178 00:10:43,080 --> 00:10:45,800 The beginning of verse 8, the Lord identifies with His people. 179 00:10:46,200 --> 00:10:50,760 They are His people. The middle of verse 8. 180 00:10:50,880 --> 00:10:54,000 He hopes for the best for them. Surely they will not deal 181 00:10:54,000 --> 00:10:58,160 falsely, He says. The end of verse 8. 182 00:10:58,160 --> 00:11:01,160 The Lord commits Himself to be their Saviour, to be their 183 00:11:01,160 --> 00:11:05,840 Redeemer. The beginning of verse 9, the 184 00:11:05,840 --> 00:11:10,520 Lord feels their afflictions, He understands their sorrows, He 185 00:11:10,520 --> 00:11:15,200 feels their hardships. The Angel of the presence of the 186 00:11:15,200 --> 00:11:21,640 Lord is sent to save them. Middle of verse 9, out of His 187 00:11:21,640 --> 00:11:24,920 love, out of his pity, He commits to redeem His people. 188 00:11:26,920 --> 00:11:29,720 In the end of verse 9, He lifts them up, He carries them, He 189 00:11:29,720 --> 00:11:34,040 bears their burden, and He does so without fail all the days of 190 00:11:34,040 --> 00:11:37,400 old. He says as Isaiah begins his 191 00:11:37,400 --> 00:11:41,960 prayer, he reminds himself about the God to whom he is praying, 192 00:11:42,560 --> 00:11:47,640 the covenant love of God, God's commitment to his people, the 193 00:11:47,640 --> 00:11:51,320 deep and rich commitment that the Lord has made to his people. 194 00:11:52,880 --> 00:11:56,400 And then as we come to verses 10 through 14, we see he reminds 195 00:11:56,560 --> 00:12:01,600 himself about the patience and the faithfulness of his God even 196 00:12:01,600 --> 00:12:05,680 in the midst of the rebellion of the people, in response to God's 197 00:12:05,680 --> 00:12:09,320 covenant love, in response to God's deep commitment to His 198 00:12:09,320 --> 00:12:13,240 people, you would expect the people of God would respond by 199 00:12:13,240 --> 00:12:16,800 praising and worshipping the Lord, by offering praises of 200 00:12:16,800 --> 00:12:20,280 Thanksgiving to Him for His faithfulness and His goodness. 201 00:12:20,760 --> 00:12:24,520 But what do we read as we come to the beginning of verse 10? 202 00:12:24,840 --> 00:12:28,160 The people responded with rebellion, grieving the Lord. 203 00:12:29,560 --> 00:12:33,000 So the Lord responded to the rebellion and disobedience with 204 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:35,760 a just judgment, becoming their enemy, it says. 205 00:12:37,120 --> 00:12:40,320 But even then, as we come to the beginning of verse 11, we're 206 00:12:40,320 --> 00:12:44,160 told the Lord was faithful to His covenant love and promises. 207 00:12:44,320 --> 00:12:47,960 He remembered His acts of kindness and grace to His people 208 00:12:47,960 --> 00:12:50,240 in the past. He remembered the greatest 209 00:12:50,360 --> 00:12:55,040 salvific act that had ever had ever occurred up until that 210 00:12:55,040 --> 00:12:59,640 time, the Exodus. He remembered, we're told, how 211 00:12:59,640 --> 00:13:01,400 He had given the Holy Spirit to them. 212 00:13:01,640 --> 00:13:05,120 He remembered how He divided the waters of the Red Sea and kept 213 00:13:05,120 --> 00:13:08,680 His people safe. It was the arm of the Lord, the 214 00:13:08,680 --> 00:13:11,560 mighty arm of the Lord, that saved his people. 215 00:13:12,680 --> 00:13:15,480 Even in the midst of the people's rebellion, even in the 216 00:13:15,480 --> 00:13:19,000 midst of their disobedient, the Lord was patient with His 217 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:21,160 people. He did not wipe them out. 218 00:13:21,320 --> 00:13:23,920 He was faithful. He kept his covenant promises 219 00:13:24,120 --> 00:13:27,240 and he was patient, demonstrating his covenant love 220 00:13:27,240 --> 00:13:32,600 to them again and again. And then as we come to the end 221 00:13:32,600 --> 00:13:35,680 of verse 14, we see that he did it all to make for himself a 222 00:13:35,680 --> 00:13:40,000 glorious name. This is the God that Isaiah 223 00:13:40,000 --> 00:13:42,120 remembers and reminds himself about. 224 00:13:43,320 --> 00:13:45,440 He is the patient God. He is the faithful God. 225 00:13:45,440 --> 00:13:53,360 He is the glorious God. This is the God to whom Isaiah 226 00:13:53,360 --> 00:13:56,800 prayed. This is the God to whom we pray. 227 00:13:57,400 --> 00:14:00,760 A God who pours out his steadfast, covenant love to us, 228 00:14:01,240 --> 00:14:05,440 a God who makes a a rich and deep commitment to us, a God who 229 00:14:05,440 --> 00:14:09,360 is everlastingly patient and unbreakably faithful to us. 230 00:14:12,280 --> 00:14:16,320 So as Isaiah begins his prayer, he begins by reminding himself 231 00:14:16,320 --> 00:14:20,120 about who God is. Who is this God to which he's 232 00:14:20,120 --> 00:14:25,640 going to pray? As we move to verse 15 through 233 00:14:25,640 --> 00:14:30,120 the end of chapter 64, Isaiah, we see Isaiah moves from 234 00:14:30,360 --> 00:14:34,960 reminding himself about the God to whom he prays to petitions 235 00:14:34,960 --> 00:14:38,560 and intercessions, right? Do you see what he's done? 236 00:14:38,720 --> 00:14:42,760 There can be great confidence in lifting the needs and the wants 237 00:14:42,760 --> 00:14:45,960 and the questions and even the doubts that Isaiah and God's 238 00:14:45,960 --> 00:14:49,520 people have because this is who the God is that he's praying to. 239 00:14:50,520 --> 00:14:56,240 He can be trusted. The first question that Isaiah 240 00:14:56,240 --> 00:15:01,720 raises is in verses 15 and 16. Look down from heaven and see 241 00:15:01,720 --> 00:15:03,720 from your holy and beautiful habitation. 242 00:15:03,880 --> 00:15:06,160 Where are your zeal and your might? 243 00:15:06,320 --> 00:15:10,800 The stirring of your inner parts and your compassion are held 244 00:15:10,800 --> 00:15:14,840 back from me. You are our Father, though 245 00:15:14,840 --> 00:15:18,280 Abraham does not know us and Israel does not acknowledge us. 246 00:15:18,280 --> 00:15:21,920 You, O Lord, are our Father, our Redeemer from of old. 247 00:15:22,200 --> 00:15:26,040 Is your name right? The sense of this cry that 248 00:15:26,320 --> 00:15:29,960 Isaiah offers up to this God, that he has reminded himself who 249 00:15:29,960 --> 00:15:32,600 it is. If the Lord is faithful and His 250 00:15:32,600 --> 00:15:36,520 commitment and His covenant love to His people, then where is it? 251 00:15:41,320 --> 00:15:45,000 He is the one whose holy and beautiful habitation is in 252 00:15:45,000 --> 00:15:48,400 heaven itself. He is the one who has all zeal 253 00:15:48,400 --> 00:15:50,960 and might. He is the sovereign creator of 254 00:15:50,960 --> 00:15:54,880 the universe. But his heart, his compassion, 255 00:15:55,000 --> 00:15:57,760 his love seemed to have been held back. 256 00:16:00,720 --> 00:16:04,440 He says you are our Father, you are our Redeemer from of old. 257 00:16:04,440 --> 00:16:07,160 That's your name. So where is your love God? 258 00:16:11,680 --> 00:16:14,560 Second question gets asked in verses 17 to 19. 259 00:16:15,760 --> 00:16:19,480 Oh Lord, why do you make us wander from your ways and harden 260 00:16:19,480 --> 00:16:22,960 our heart so that we fear you not return? 261 00:16:22,960 --> 00:16:26,360 For the sake of your servants, the tribes of your heritage, 262 00:16:26,360 --> 00:16:29,240 Your holy people, held possession for a little while. 263 00:16:29,480 --> 00:16:32,040 Our adversaries have trampled down your sanctuary. 264 00:16:32,480 --> 00:16:36,240 We have become like those over whom you have never ruled, like 265 00:16:36,240 --> 00:16:38,840 those who are not called by your name. 266 00:16:41,640 --> 00:16:46,080 Lord, why are you absent? Why do you feel so distant? 267 00:16:49,560 --> 00:16:51,560 You've been, you've made us to wander. 268 00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:55,400 We, we had the the Promised land for a little while. 269 00:16:55,480 --> 00:16:58,600 We communed with the Lord and his holy temple for a time. 270 00:16:59,240 --> 00:17:02,560 But now our enemies have conquered us and our temple, our 271 00:17:02,560 --> 00:17:04,280 sanctuary has been trampled down. 272 00:17:05,839 --> 00:17:09,480 And now we feel like people over whom you have never ruled. 273 00:17:09,920 --> 00:17:12,720 We feel like those who have never been called your people. 274 00:17:13,319 --> 00:17:16,720 If this is the Lord who has made such a rich and deep commitment 275 00:17:16,720 --> 00:17:22,760 to His people, where is He? And can we just say, too, that 276 00:17:22,960 --> 00:17:25,760 as we read these verses, it can sound like Isaiah is blaming the 277 00:17:25,760 --> 00:17:27,520 Lord for the rebellion of the people. 278 00:17:29,640 --> 00:17:31,720 But that's not the sense of the Hebrew words here. 279 00:17:32,160 --> 00:17:35,440 The sense is that the rebellion and the guilt of the people was 280 00:17:35,440 --> 00:17:37,600 such that the Lord had to respond. 281 00:17:38,160 --> 00:17:42,720 There was no option but to drive them away, that the human heart, 282 00:17:42,840 --> 00:17:46,200 without the intervention of the Holy Spirit, hardens more and 283 00:17:46,200 --> 00:17:48,840 more overtime. And eventually there comes a 284 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:53,320 time when the Lord turns us over to our sinful disobedience, and 285 00:17:53,320 --> 00:17:57,240 at that point there is no human possibility of a solution. 286 00:17:59,320 --> 00:18:01,120 Only the Lord can bring restoration. 287 00:18:03,520 --> 00:18:07,080 Lord, why are you absent? Why do you feel distant? 288 00:18:09,360 --> 00:18:12,960 Another question comes in verses one through 3 of chapter 64. 289 00:18:14,880 --> 00:18:17,120 Oh, that you would rend the heavens and come down. 290 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:20,840 That the mountains might quake at your presence, as when fire 291 00:18:20,840 --> 00:18:23,680 Kindles rushwood and the fire causes water to boil. 292 00:18:24,120 --> 00:18:27,000 To make your name known to your adversaries, and that the 293 00:18:27,000 --> 00:18:29,280 nations might tremble at your presence. 294 00:18:29,800 --> 00:18:32,640 When you did awesome things that we did not look for, You came 295 00:18:32,640 --> 00:18:36,000 down the mountains quaked at your presence. 296 00:18:36,720 --> 00:18:41,240 Lord, why don't you act? Why don't you do something? 297 00:18:41,240 --> 00:18:43,800 Isaiah cries out. Oh, that the Lord would just 298 00:18:43,800 --> 00:18:47,080 rend the heavens and come down and fix things. 299 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:50,520 He is mighty. He is sovereign, He is in 300 00:18:50,520 --> 00:18:53,000 control. Even the mountains quake at his 301 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:56,080 presence. He is the one who has done 302 00:18:56,080 --> 00:18:59,400 awesome things in the past in the midst of his people. 303 00:19:00,000 --> 00:19:03,800 If the Lord would just show up in His might, His presence could 304 00:19:03,800 --> 00:19:10,120 make all things right. But the picture here is a of a 305 00:19:10,120 --> 00:19:13,600 creation that is helpless, of the nations that are helpless. 306 00:19:14,360 --> 00:19:17,640 But the Lord could make everything different. 307 00:19:17,960 --> 00:19:20,960 He could make everything right. So why doesn't he? 308 00:19:22,920 --> 00:19:29,040 Why doesn't God act? And then notice in verses four 309 00:19:29,040 --> 00:19:30,800 and five, they ask another question. 310 00:19:30,800 --> 00:19:33,960 Is it too late for them? From of old? 311 00:19:33,960 --> 00:19:36,160 No one has heard or perceived by the ear. 312 00:19:36,360 --> 00:19:39,960 No eye has seen a God besides you who acts for those who wait 313 00:19:39,960 --> 00:19:43,200 for Him. You meet Him who joyfully works 314 00:19:43,200 --> 00:19:46,000 righteousness. Those who remember you in your 315 00:19:46,000 --> 00:19:48,200 ways. Behold, you were angry, and we 316 00:19:48,200 --> 00:19:50,920 sinned in our sins. We have been a long time. 317 00:19:50,920 --> 00:19:53,840 Shall we be saved? Is it too late for us? 318 00:19:55,400 --> 00:19:58,800 No one has seen or heard or perceived any other God besides 319 00:19:58,800 --> 00:20:02,120 the one true God. He alone is the God who acts for 320 00:20:02,120 --> 00:20:06,560 those who wait for him. He responds to those who 321 00:20:06,560 --> 00:20:09,720 joyfully obey Him, those who remember Him. 322 00:20:09,960 --> 00:20:13,840 But Isaiah says, Is it too late for us because we sinned? 323 00:20:14,600 --> 00:20:19,000 We've been in our sin a long time, and the Lord got angry and 324 00:20:19,000 --> 00:20:22,360 brought discipline upon them. Can they still be saved? 325 00:20:23,240 --> 00:20:30,480 Is it too late? What about repentance? 326 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:32,400 Doesn't the Lord respond to repentance? 327 00:20:32,400 --> 00:20:36,560 That's what we get in verses 6:00 and 7:00. 328 00:20:38,840 --> 00:20:42,280 We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our 329 00:20:42,280 --> 00:20:45,600 righteousness, all our righteous deeds are like a polluted 330 00:20:45,600 --> 00:20:47,960 garment. We all fade like a leaf, and our 331 00:20:47,960 --> 00:20:50,520 iniquities, like the wind, take us away. 332 00:20:51,640 --> 00:20:54,640 There is no one who calls upon your name, who rouses himself to 333 00:20:54,640 --> 00:20:58,920 take hold of you, for you have hidden your face from us and 334 00:20:58,920 --> 00:21:02,200 have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities. 335 00:21:02,960 --> 00:21:04,920 But this is the language of repentance. 336 00:21:06,240 --> 00:21:10,520 There is acknowledgement of sin. There is an acknowledgement that 337 00:21:10,520 --> 00:21:14,440 even their righteous good deeds are like filthy, polluted 338 00:21:14,720 --> 00:21:18,880 garments or rags. There's an acknowledgement that 339 00:21:18,880 --> 00:21:20,200 they know that they're not clean. 340 00:21:21,840 --> 00:21:24,840 They know that their iniquities cause them to fade away, that 341 00:21:24,840 --> 00:21:27,480 they are blown away like a leaf by the wind. 342 00:21:28,280 --> 00:21:31,680 And notice they feel like the Lord has turned and hidden his 343 00:21:31,680 --> 00:21:35,960 face from them, and rightly so, because of their sin. 344 00:21:35,960 --> 00:21:43,520 But what if they repent? That leads to the final 345 00:21:43,520 --> 00:21:45,400 question, which is in verses 8 through 12. 346 00:21:47,840 --> 00:21:52,280 But now, O Lord, you are our Father, We are the clay, and you 347 00:21:52,280 --> 00:21:54,680 are our Potter. We are all the work of your 348 00:21:54,680 --> 00:21:57,520 hand. Be not so terribly angry, O 349 00:21:57,520 --> 00:22:00,120 Lord, and remember not iniquity forever. 350 00:22:00,640 --> 00:22:03,760 Behold, please look, we are all your people. 351 00:22:04,000 --> 00:22:05,920 Your holy cities have become a wilderness. 352 00:22:05,920 --> 00:22:09,320 Zion has become a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation. 353 00:22:10,160 --> 00:22:13,360 Our holy and beautiful house, where our fathers praised you, 354 00:22:13,480 --> 00:22:17,600 has been burned by fire, and all our pleasant places have become 355 00:22:17,600 --> 00:22:20,520 ruins. Will you restrain yourself at 356 00:22:20,520 --> 00:22:21,560 these things? O Lord? 357 00:22:21,800 --> 00:22:24,880 Will you keep silent and afflict us so terribly? 358 00:22:26,040 --> 00:22:30,560 Will the unchanging Lord withhold his love of his people 359 00:22:32,680 --> 00:22:35,000 cries out. Lord, you are our Father, You 360 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:38,440 are our great Potter. We are your children, we are 361 00:22:38,440 --> 00:22:40,720 your clay, we are the works of your hand. 362 00:22:40,960 --> 00:22:44,720 Don't be terribly angry with us. Don't remember our sins forever, 363 00:22:45,000 --> 00:22:48,800 but look on us. Turn your face back to us. 364 00:22:48,800 --> 00:22:53,160 We are your people. We have lost the promised land, 365 00:22:53,560 --> 00:22:56,560 we have lost the city of Jerusalem holy. 366 00:22:56,560 --> 00:22:59,840 Our holy and beautiful house, the temple has been burned to 367 00:22:59,840 --> 00:23:03,440 the ground, and all of the things that we treasure so much 368 00:23:04,040 --> 00:23:08,720 are in ruins. Lord, will you continue to 369 00:23:08,720 --> 00:23:10,480 restrain yourself about these things? 370 00:23:10,480 --> 00:23:13,320 Will you? Will you look on repentance 371 00:23:13,320 --> 00:23:18,600 people, and stay silent? Well, you can continue to 372 00:23:18,600 --> 00:23:21,640 afflict and discipline us forever. 373 00:23:24,560 --> 00:23:26,520 And that's where Isaiah's prayer ends. 374 00:23:29,320 --> 00:23:31,000 Kind of feels like we've been left hanging. 375 00:23:34,680 --> 00:23:38,200 The answer to Isaiah's questions is what we get in Isaiah chapter 376 00:23:38,200 --> 00:23:45,080 65 and 66. But spoiler alert, the answer is 377 00:23:45,080 --> 00:23:48,080 that the Lord will indeed restore and reconcile with His 378 00:23:48,080 --> 00:23:51,960 people. And how do we know that it's the 379 00:23:51,960 --> 00:23:54,080 first? So what for today? 380 00:23:55,120 --> 00:23:58,520 It's because the Lord's relationship with His people is 381 00:23:58,520 --> 00:24:01,960 permanent. That's what Isaiah reminded 382 00:24:01,960 --> 00:24:04,160 himself about at the beginning of his prayer. 383 00:24:04,320 --> 00:24:09,360 The Lord is a Lord of steadfast love, of covenant love. 384 00:24:10,400 --> 00:24:15,640 He's established a covenant with his people, and we know because 385 00:24:15,640 --> 00:24:19,160 we have the rest of the Scriptures that He has secured 386 00:24:19,160 --> 00:24:21,880 the covenant through the person and the work of the second 387 00:24:21,880 --> 00:24:24,680 Person of the Trinity, the Lord Jesus Christ. 388 00:24:26,760 --> 00:24:29,240 God has committed himself to be our God. 389 00:24:29,640 --> 00:24:31,880 He has committed that we will be His people. 390 00:24:32,280 --> 00:24:35,800 He has given us the Holy Spirit who is the guarantee of the 391 00:24:35,800 --> 00:24:38,560 inheritance that is being kept for us in heaven. 392 00:24:39,680 --> 00:24:42,280 He has promised that He will be at work in our lives through the 393 00:24:42,280 --> 00:24:45,800 Holy Spirit to conform us more and more to His Word. 394 00:24:46,480 --> 00:24:50,080 He has promised that Jesus will return and when He does, all 395 00:24:50,080 --> 00:24:52,000 things will be made right and whole. 396 00:24:52,240 --> 00:24:56,160 He has promised that the day is coming when sin and pain and 397 00:24:56,160 --> 00:24:58,920 anguish and even death itself will be done. 398 00:25:01,480 --> 00:25:05,000 So, brothers and sisters in Christ, when there are times or 399 00:25:05,000 --> 00:25:08,880 when there are seasons of life when it is hard to believe that 400 00:25:08,880 --> 00:25:11,960 this could be true, you don't feel like it's true. 401 00:25:12,840 --> 00:25:16,720 When God seems distant, when you're tempted to believe that 402 00:25:16,720 --> 00:25:19,440 your relationship with God is not permanent. 403 00:25:19,960 --> 00:25:23,600 We must come back to the Word of God is an arrant and 404 00:25:23,600 --> 00:25:27,720 authoritative word. We trust what it says more than 405 00:25:27,720 --> 00:25:32,840 how we feel. We put our hope in what God's 406 00:25:32,840 --> 00:25:36,280 Word says rather than how we feel about how close the Lord is 407 00:25:36,280 --> 00:25:42,440 in any given moment. His love for us, His commitment 408 00:25:42,440 --> 00:25:46,720 to us, His patience and faithfulness to us is permanent. 409 00:25:48,760 --> 00:25:55,240 It never changes. It's always true, it's always 410 00:25:55,240 --> 00:26:00,520 the same, and we need to live our lives in light of that 411 00:26:00,520 --> 00:26:09,000 truth. Secondly, why does the Lord not 412 00:26:09,000 --> 00:26:13,440 do things differently? Right? 413 00:26:13,440 --> 00:26:17,040 That's the question that's wrapped up in several of the 414 00:26:17,040 --> 00:26:19,120 questions that Isaiah raises to the Lord. 415 00:26:19,360 --> 00:26:24,200 Lord, if you would just rend the heavens and come down, then you 416 00:26:24,200 --> 00:26:30,920 could make all things better. Why don't you just change what's 417 00:26:30,920 --> 00:26:31,840 happening? Lord? 418 00:26:33,280 --> 00:26:35,240 You're certainly capable of doing it. 419 00:26:35,240 --> 00:26:41,960 And that question resonates with us too, doesn't it, Lord? 420 00:26:41,960 --> 00:26:44,480 Why are you allowing such pain and suffering in my life? 421 00:26:48,880 --> 00:26:51,720 Lord, why are you allowing such relational alienation to take 422 00:26:51,720 --> 00:26:56,920 place in my family? Why are you allowing the people 423 00:26:56,920 --> 00:26:59,840 that I love and care for go through such debilitating 424 00:26:59,960 --> 00:27:05,280 spiritual doubt and depression? Why are you allowing me to 425 00:27:05,280 --> 00:27:10,040 experience financial insecurity? Why are you allowing evil 426 00:27:10,040 --> 00:27:14,240 dictators to rule and wars to continue and death of people and 427 00:27:14,240 --> 00:27:18,240 the destruction of countries? Why are you allowing diseases to 428 00:27:18,240 --> 00:27:23,160 bring great fear and death? Lord, why don't you rend the 429 00:27:23,160 --> 00:27:27,840 heavens and come down and fix it, Fix this brokenness. 430 00:27:30,040 --> 00:27:34,320 And like Isaiah and like God's people who have asked these 431 00:27:34,320 --> 00:27:38,800 kinds of questions throughout history, we don't entirely get 432 00:27:38,800 --> 00:27:40,720 an answer that satisfies us completely. 433 00:27:42,600 --> 00:27:46,200 Because ultimately the answer is the point of the book of Job. 434 00:27:47,280 --> 00:27:53,960 You are God, and I am not. The Lord tells us in His Word 435 00:27:53,960 --> 00:27:55,840 that He has a purpose for all things. 436 00:27:57,320 --> 00:28:00,480 The Lord tells us that He works all things according to His holy 437 00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:03,960 and perfect will, and that He even works out all things for 438 00:28:03,960 --> 00:28:07,360 the good of His people. But He doesn't give us the 439 00:28:07,360 --> 00:28:09,960 details. He doesn't tell us how this 440 00:28:09,960 --> 00:28:13,760 experience, or that experience that we question, is being used 441 00:28:13,760 --> 00:28:18,640 for His good or for our glory. And so we're left with a choice. 442 00:28:24,120 --> 00:28:29,840 Believe and trust in what the Lord has said, and have hope or 443 00:28:29,840 --> 00:28:34,360 don't believe in what the Lord has said and live in despair. 444 00:28:36,360 --> 00:28:40,480 Over and over again, especially in the Psalms, God's people cry 445 00:28:40,480 --> 00:28:43,840 out their questions to the Lord over and over again. 446 00:28:43,840 --> 00:28:49,600 The Lord says believe in me. Trust me, even if you don't get 447 00:28:49,600 --> 00:28:53,720 clear, direct answers to your deepest questions, trust me that 448 00:28:53,720 --> 00:28:56,560 I have a plan. I know what I'm doing and I'm 449 00:28:56,560 --> 00:28:59,800 perfectly capable of accomplishing my purposes and 450 00:28:59,800 --> 00:29:02,880 what I'm doing. I will will bring me glory, and 451 00:29:02,880 --> 00:29:04,440 ultimately will be for your good. 452 00:29:05,600 --> 00:29:11,480 Trust me. So what's your choice? 453 00:29:14,280 --> 00:29:19,440 Lastly, there's instruction here for how we can pray. 454 00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:22,480 We find a number of models in Scripture that help us to know 455 00:29:22,480 --> 00:29:24,840 how to pray. This is one of those models, 456 00:29:24,840 --> 00:29:26,480 perhaps even the most powerful one. 457 00:29:26,480 --> 00:29:29,440 And again, how does Isaiah start? 458 00:29:29,440 --> 00:29:32,080 He starts by focusing on the Lord, who he is, what he is 459 00:29:32,080 --> 00:29:34,240 like, his character, his attributes. 460 00:29:34,400 --> 00:29:38,480 He starts by reminding himself these truths about the Lord, His 461 00:29:38,480 --> 00:29:42,560 steadfast love, his commitment to his people, his patience, his 462 00:29:42,560 --> 00:29:45,080 faithfulness. He reminds himself of the 463 00:29:45,080 --> 00:29:48,640 Exodus, when the Lord saved his people and redeemed his people, 464 00:29:48,880 --> 00:29:52,120 when he cared for and protected them and provided everything 465 00:29:52,120 --> 00:29:55,840 that he needed, they needed. It's important that we start 466 00:29:55,840 --> 00:29:59,720 there because it gives us the confidence that we can bring our 467 00:29:59,720 --> 00:30:02,480 needs and our desires, our questions and even our doubts 468 00:30:02,480 --> 00:30:06,320 before God. If this is who the Lord is, if 469 00:30:06,320 --> 00:30:09,840 this is what He has done for His people, then surely I can bring 470 00:30:09,840 --> 00:30:14,440 my deepest questions, the cries of my heart, and not be afraid 471 00:30:14,440 --> 00:30:19,120 or ashamed. Obviously, that's what Isaiah 472 00:30:19,120 --> 00:30:22,640 did on behalf of God's people. Where is God's love? 473 00:30:23,840 --> 00:30:27,120 Why does he seem so distant? Why doesn't he act? 474 00:30:27,120 --> 00:30:30,560 Is it too late? Isaiah didn't pull back. 475 00:30:32,160 --> 00:30:34,280 And we don't have to be afraid of doing so either. 476 00:30:35,240 --> 00:30:37,920 We're told in the Scriptures that the Lord desires us to 477 00:30:37,920 --> 00:30:41,200 bring our cares and our needs, even our questions and our 478 00:30:41,200 --> 00:30:44,640 doubts to Him. And because Jesus completed his 479 00:30:44,640 --> 00:30:47,920 work on the cross, and because we have the Holy Spirit dwelling 480 00:30:47,920 --> 00:30:51,760 in us, we know that we can bring even our questions and doubts 481 00:30:51,760 --> 00:30:57,360 before the throne of God's mercy with confidence, with humility, 482 00:30:59,520 --> 00:31:04,440 No Fear, no shame. Let's pray together.