投稿者: otawara-1

Today’s passage is the last part of the fourth song of the servant that begins in 52:13. In the first part we saw the hardships that the servant received. In other words, “he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows.” (4) That was for our sin, our iniquities. “He was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities.” (5)
The result of him being crushed like that and what happened is written about in today’s passage. In other words, the servant looked at those who were redeemed and was satisfied. Everything didn’t end at death. It was connected to eternal life.

I. The servant who was taken away (Vs. 7-9)
First please look at verses 7 to 9. Verse 7 says, “He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.”
“He” (7) is of course Jesus Christ. Christ was “afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” (7) The reason why is because if Jesus had opened his mouth, in a moment all the people on the earth would have perished. Jesus probably had things that he wanted to say, but he didn’t. If he said something then he wouldn’t have been able to take upon himself all transgressions so he was silent. I Peter 2:22 to 24 says, “’He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.’ When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. ‘He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed.’”
The reason that Christ “did not open his mouth” (7) was because “’He himself bore our sins’ in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; ‘by his wounds you have been healed.’” (I Peter 2:24) In other words, Christ “did not open his mouth” (7) and was silent for us.
The opposite is sinners have a habit of always opening their mouths. They make excuses for things and say things that aren’t necessary. They say things like, “It couldn’t be helped.” “It wasn’t me.” “It was because that person told me to.” Etc. However, Jesus was silent. “He did not open his mouth.” (7) No matter how disadvantageous evidence was given “he entrusted himself to him who judges justly.” (I Peter 2:23) When Jesus stood before Judah’s governor, Pilate, he was asked, “Are you the king of the Jews?” (Matt. 27:11) Jesus only answered, “Yes, it is as you say.” (Matt. 27:11) He didn’t say anything else. That was because he knew it was God’s will. I think that he had a lot he wanted to say, but if he did that God’s will wouldn’t be accomplished, so “as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth.” (7)
Please look at verse 8. Here it says, “By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished.”
Jesus was oppressed, judged, and killed. This was at the age of 33, the prime of his life. At that time he was killed. The reason is in verse 9. “Though he had done no violence, nor was any deceit in his mouth.” It was for our transgressions. No one at that time knew that.
The words of verses 7 and 8 are quoted in Acts 8:32. The Ethiopian eunuch who served the queen of the Ethiopians “had gone to Jerusalem to worship, and on his way home was sitting in his chariot reading” (Acts 8:27) this passage. When he was thinking about what it meant God sent the evangelist Philip to him. He was reading this passage so Philip asked him, “Do you understand what you are reading?” (Acts 8:30) Then the eunuch replied “How can I…unless someone explains it to me?” (Acts 8:31) Then Philip explained to him that the passage was pointing to Jesus of Nazareth. Then the Eunuch understood that Jesus died on the cross for him and joyfully accepted what God had done. When they came to some water, the eunuch asked, “”Look, here is water. Why shouldn’t I be baptized?” (Acts 8:36) Then they stopped the chariot. “Then both Philip and the eunuch went down into the water and Philip baptized him.” (Acts 8:38)
You can be baptized anywhere there is water. If there is anyone today who wants to believe there is water here too so please be baptized. You can believe in Jesus at any time. At any time you can be baptized. If you realize that Jesus took upon himself all your sins on the cross, you will be joyous. Your sins will be forgiven and you will not face the second death. That is a huge joy. When the Ethiopian eunuch came up out of the water, the Holy Spirit took Philip away so he couldn’t be seen anymore. However, the Bible says that the eunuch went home in joy. People who believe in Jesus have joy.
Please look at verse 9. Here it says, “He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
And with the rich in his death,
Though he had done no violence,
Nor was any deceit in his mouth.”
“He was assigned a grave with the wicked” (9) is that he will die with the two other prisoners on the cross. Those who condemned him assumed that he would be buried with executed criminals. “With the rich in his death” is that he will be buried in a rich man’s grave. Jesus’ body was buried in the grave of Joseph of Arimathea. According to Matthew 27:57, he was a rich man. Truly Jesus is the Lord’s servant, the Messiah, the Savior who for our transgressions was punished and “was cut off from the land of the living.” (8) This Messiah died for you on the cross. If you recognize this, accept and believe in Him as your Savior and Lord, then this joy will come to you too.

II. The will of the Lord will prosper in his hand (Vs.10-11)
Next let’s look at verse 10 and the first half of verse 11. First please look at verse 10. “Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.”
Here is a great truth. That is the servant being crushed and inflicted is the will of God. The reason that we can say this is the will of God is because if he “makes his life a guilt offering, (10) then he will see his offspring and prolong his days.” (10) In many cases, even if you work hard, if you die you can’t know the result. However, the Lord’s servant will see the result of his work of suffering. As it says in verse 11 he will see the result of the suffering of his soul and be satisfied. He will see the fruit that atonement of the cross brought and will be satisfied.
Hebrews 12:2 says, “Jesus…who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” This is “the joy set before him.” (Hebrews 12:2) In other words, Jesus by being put on the cross, he will see the eternal life that comes to those who believe in the atonement of the cross. This is the joy of the servant. For this joy Jesus “endured the cross, scorning its shame.” (Hebrews 12:2)
This is just like a mother’s labor pains. Even though mothers have terrible pain and suffering in birth, they can put up with it because they have this joy. That is the joy of a new life coming. They see this new life and are satisfied. The pain wasn’t a painful handicap. This pain was not unprofitable. A cute baby will be born. They go to the point of such pain to have a child because someone of more value will be born. When they receive it causes them to forget all the pain, all the suffering, and all the hardship. A new life has that much joy. “After the suffering” (11) they are satisfied. If you are saved, how much Jesus will rejoice! He will look at you saved and “be satisfied.” (11)
However, this was not an easy thing. For Jesus to give his life as a guilt offering wasn’t that easy of a thing. Even if he knew that was God’s plan and he knew that is why he came into this world, still it wasn’t something that he could do easily. Therefore, Jesus with the cross in front of him prayed in the garden of Gethsemane like this. “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done.” (Luke 22:42)
Jesus prayed, “take this cup from me.” (Luke 22:42) That is because it means that his relationship with God the Father will be severed. Though it was for people’s sin, for that purpose “he was punished. (8) and cut off from God which was the most fearful thing for Jesus. That is because God, the trinity, had from the beginning of eternity never been separated even for a moment. To be separated from God and to lose his relationship with God was the most fearful thing for Jesus.
It should be the same for us too. The most fearful thing for us is to lose our relationship with God. That is the most fearful thing for us. That is because it means hell. However, if you believe in Jesus, God will forgive your sin, and will be with you forever, and will have a relationship with you. This is eternal life. If you have that, you have nothing to fear. Our greatest joy and blessing is having God with us, God’s presence.
However, for Jesus to be separated from God even for even a moment is unthinkable. Therefore, Jesus prayed, “take this cup from me.” (Luke 22:42) Jesus being in anguish “prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground.” (Luke 22:44) Even so he drank the cup to the last drop. Then he will see the eternal life that comes to those who believe in the atonement of the cross. This is joy! For this joy Jesus “endured the cross, scorning its shame.” (Hebrews 12:2) How about you? For this joy are you joyfully carrying the cross that is before your eyes? Jesus said this. “I tell you the truth, unless a kernel of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it produces many seeds.” (John 24)
In reality, they bear fruit. In the course of time, you too will see your offspring and your days will be prolonged. After you have suffered you will see the fruit of your suffering and you will be satisfied. The problem is where you are looking and what you are looking at. Let’s not look at the sufferings that are before our eyes, but at the glory that is ahead of it. If you do that, then “the will of the LORD will prosper in “(10) your hand.

III. The servant who intercedes (Vs. 11-12)
Lastly let’s look at the end of verse 11 and verse 12. “by his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities. Therefore I will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong, because he poured out his life unto death, and was numbered with the transgressors. For he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
“My righteous servant” (11) is of course Jesus. Jesus “will justify many, and he will bear their iniquities.” (11) “His knowledge” (11) is the knowledge of Jesus. By the knowledge of Jesus many will be justified. This is the knowledge that Jesus “was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (5) This is the plan of salvation that God ordained from the beginning of eternity. “By his knowledge my righteous servant will justify many.” (11)
Therefore God “will give him a portion among the great, and he will divide the spoils with the strong.” (12) “The great” (12) and “the strong” (12) refer to those who are justified by the knowledge of Jesus. In other words, it is the children of God. Just like in war when the conquerors who won the war plunder the spoils, the Lord’s servant, Jesus, by his suffering and resurrection, had victory over evil spirits, Satan, who rules over all the darkness of the world so he set free those people who were prisoners there.
That’s not all. The servant “bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.” (12) He redeemed you. As his own possession he didn’t just toss them out, but even now is alive and interceding for you. He is always praying for you.
Romans 8:34 says, “Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died-more than that, who was raised to life-is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us.”
Also Hebrews 7:25 too says, “Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.”
Jesus didn’t just die on the cross. He died and then rose again. He rose and then ascended into heaven and sits enthroned on the right hand of God. That is to intercede for you. He is alive now praying for you so that your faith won’t die, so that you will have victory over various difficulties. To live putting all in the hands of God is so comforting! We now in this world have many struggles. Sometimes we are almost broken, but Jesus was put on the cross for us, and 3 days later rose again. Then when we remember that now too He is praying for us, real encouragement will be given to us.
A music group, Noah, has a song “I can hear”.
Don’t give up.
You can always hear Jesus’ encouragement
In trials too there is joy
In hardships too there is light.
In the Lord’s hands I’m remade.
Ah, surrounded in the Lord’s love, I shine.
Indeed because we have Jesus’ encouragement, even if we are in the midst of trials or in the midst of suffering, we can move on without giving up.
A girl was saved and got married when I pastored a church in Fukushima. Now she is serving in Tokyo as a pastor’s wife. Her second child was born premature weighing 1,260 grams. There was a problem with the nerves for language and he remained unable to speak. When she thought about why this happened she was given one passage of scripture. That was John 9:3. “Neither this man nor his parents sinned… but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.” That was a huge encouragement for her. She had been depressed thinking that she had done something bad so this had happened, but that was no so. When she realized that it “happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life,” (John 9:3) she prayed that “the work of God might be displayed in his life.” (John 9:3)
Then last year at the end of summer vacation when he went to kindergarten, suddenly the child started talking. There was a huge commotion in the kindergarten. “Joshua talked!” The principal cried out of joy. When she took him to the doctor, he said that the child could go to an elementary school that doesn’t have a speech program.
No matter if the Lord bore our iniquities and died and rose again and accomplished the work of salvation, if we don’t believe in that atonement it has no meaning at all. When we accept the fact that the Lord’s servant’s suffering was for us and believe in him, then we become a part of the “great” and we can receive a part of God’s great work. Please believe and receive through Jesus the work of salvation, the atonement of the cross. You too can receive this abundant grace of salvation.

Today I would like to talk about “The greatest love” from the first part of Isaiah 53. This is one part of the 4th servant’s song which began in Isaiah 52:13. Here the reason is written as to why the Lord’s servant must suffer. That is because of our sin. In other words it was a substitutional death.
Since Jesus Christ began his work up until now, many people have misunderstood the cross. They say that if Jesus was the Messiah, why did he have to be put on a cross and die. The cross is “a stumbling block to the Jews and foolishness to Gentiles.” (I Cor. 1:23) However, “to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (I Cor. 1:18) It is the greatest love. Today let’s look at 3 things about the greatest love.

I. Who has believed? (Vs. 1)
First let’s look at verse 1. “Who has believed our message
and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? “Our message” (1) is the good news concerning God’s salvation. “Who has believed” (1) this wonderful message of salvation? These words are quoted in John 12:38 and Romans 10:16. In these passages even though this prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus, no one believed. That was because Jesus’ appearance was so far from their image of the Messiah. The Messiah that they believed in would restore Israel politically and militarily. Although they waited expectantly for a political Messiah who would set them free from their Roman control, Jesus wasn’t like this. Jesus came to save us from sin which was the root cause of such problems. Therefore, they weren’t able to receive Jesus as the Messiah.
Every age is the same. No matter how much the Gospel is preached, not many people try to believe. Even if we speak about the message, about what we have experienced, about the good news that we have received, people don’t try to believe. However, even so we must not stop talking. That is because we have been changed into believers.
“Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ.” (Romans 10:17)
Faith begins by hearing, by hearing Word of God about Jesus. Therefore, if we want people to believe, we must tell them about the good news of Christ. Without hearing they can’t believe. You may think that it is meaningless to tell someone about Christ because you think they won’t listen or that they have no interest in the Bible and no desire to believe, but even so we must tell them. That is how wonderful the news is. If so, even among people that you would think no one would believe, God will definitely raise up people who believe.
II. The servant who was despised (Vs. 2-3)
“To whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?” (1) Please look at verses 2 and 3. “He grew up before him like a tender shoot,
and like a root out of dry ground.
He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him,
nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.
He was despised and rejected by men.”
In 11:1 too the word, “a tender shoot” (2) appears. This “tender shoot” (2) and the “tender shoot” that appears in 11:1 are different words. This “tender shoot” (2)　is a sucker. A sucker is a shoot which grows from a bud at the base of a tree or shrub or from its roots. It is called a sucker because it sucks up the energy from the mother plant. Therefore, it is like a baby, powerless, and can’t live without its mother. It means he will be born in a weak appearance. His beginnings will be humble.
Also it says, “like a root out of dry ground.” (2) There isn’t much promise for “a root out of dry ground”. (2) In the same way Jesus’ origins brought little promise. “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?” (John 1:46) He grew up in such humble, unpromising circumstances.
Therefore, “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” (2) “He” (2) is of course Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ “had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” (2) Usually we have an image of Jesus having long hair, a beautiful complexion, blue eyes, wearing white clothes with a glow about them, but this passage is different. We have such an image because of paintings and movies about Christ, but in reality he was much different. “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” (2)
If you look at the Gospels, when Jesus was arrested by the Roman soldiers they didn’t know who Jesus was. Therefore, so they would know, Judah kissed him. It was a sign to show them who Jesus was. He was an average man, no different from the people around him, so if he wasn’t kissed, then the soldiers wouldn’t know who to arrest. Within him he had God’s glory and brilliance. He was overflowing with kindness and love, but “He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” (2)
Please look at verse 3. Here it says, “He was despised and rejected by men,
a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.
Like one from whom men hide their faces
he was despised, and we esteemed him not.”

Even though Jesus didn’t do even one despising thing; even though he didn’t do one bad thing, he was rejected, “a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.” (3) Men hid their faces from him and no one esteemed him. Even so, he gave his life, and from his heart served other people for their happiness. He healed the sick, cast out demons, comforted the tired and struggling. He forgot that he didn’t have time to eat, gave up sleeping, and grounded himself to powder serving others. Even so people rejected him and continued to shout “Crucify him! Crucify him!”
He was “a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering.” (3) The Hebrew word for “sorrows” (3) is used for both physical and mental pain and refers to all various kinds of sorrows including to those hurts that are so deep that they lead to death. He was “familiar with suffering” experiencing all the sufferings that we experience. He took upon himself the curse of sin, “painful toil…all the days of your life.” (Genesis 3:16) “Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.” (3)
This is because Jesus was not the Messiah that they had hoped for. What they were looking for after all was a Messiah that would set Israel free from Roman rule and bring the kingdom of God on this earth. However, Jesus wasn’t like this. How weak he was. He was all withered up, “He had no beauty…. to attract us to him.” (2) He wasn’t a striking Messiah. Said in one word, it wasn’t what they were expecting, a disappointment.
Therefore, few “believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed.” (1) “The arm of the LORD” (1) is the power of God, especially God’s power to save. In other words, “the arm of the LORD” (1) was revealed through the suffering of the servant especially by his substitutionary death on the cross. However, people didn’t believe in either the message or the power of “the arm of the LORD” (1) The servant “was despised and rejected by men.” (3)

III. The servant who took our sins (Vs. 4-6)
The reason why the servant was so despised is given in verse four. Please look at verse 4. “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.”
“He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted.” (4) However, we were wrong. We thought the servant was punished for his sins and iniquities, but in reality that is not so. It was for us. “He took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows.” (4)
Please look at verse 5. It says, “But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us
peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.”
The servant was pierced and crushed for our sins　and iniquities. Here the words “pierced” and “crushed” are used. This truly express the suffering that Jesus Christ received on the cross.
This prophecy was told 700 years before Christ was born so Isaiah didn’t see the cross and prophesize. However, the description is as if people who stood looking at the foot of the cross are talking. Some people say that this servant is the Persian King Cyrus or the Israelites, but if you look at the description you will clearly see that that is not so. This is expressing perfectly Jesus being pierced on the cross and crushed.
However, for what purpose was the servant’s suffering? Why did Christ have to be put on a cross and die? It was for us: for our sins and iniquities. “He was pierced” (5) and crushed and suffered that much as a substitute for us. By his punishment we have peace “and by his wounds we are healed.” (5)
In verse 6 it says, “the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.” God put the sin of all of mankind on top of him. The sin of all of mankind! It wasn’t just my sin, one person’s sin. It was for all of mankind’s sin. Though my sin, one person’s sin, is considerably heavy, if you say the sin of all of mankind, how heavy it must be!
At present there are approximately 7,145,000,000 people. It is increasing by 137 people every minute, 70,000,000 every year. When I studied this in Junior High school, if I remember right, it was 4,300,000,000 people so since that time we can see that it has increased considerably. Moreover, it isn’t just the sin of the people living now, but includes the sin of all people who have ever lived on this earth since the beginning of history. “The LORD has laid on him” (6) the sin of all men from the time the first man Adam was created up until now.
“He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.” (I John 2:2)
Jesus became “the atoning sacrifice for…the sins of the whole world” (I John 2:2) and died on the cross. That was for our sins. He became the substitution for our sins. That is “so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (II Cor. 5:21). Please also open your Bibles to II Cor. 5:21. Let’s read together.
“God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (II Cor. 5:21)
In Israel so that many people’s sins would be forgiven a lamb was slaughtered instead. By the blood being poured out, men’s sin was forgiven and by eating the meat, life was kept in man’s body. In other words, lambs were animals that showed the power of salvation and the power of atonement. Then Jesus Christ became the lamb of God and died.
As you know, when Israel was set free from slavery in Egypt, lambs were slaughtered and their blood was put on the top and sides of the door posts. By that the Israelites were safe from God’s plague and were able to leave Egypt. In reality, this event of the Exodus became a reality by blood of the Passover lamb. Jesus was truly the lamb of the Passover. Jesus set those who are slaves to sin free by His blood. Therefore, when John the Baptist saw Jesus, he said, “look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” (John 1:29) John is saying that by the slaughter of the Lamb of the Passover, the sin of the entire world was removed. In this way atonement became a reality. The cross of Jesus that appears in the Gospels is for me and also for you and is also the atonement for the entire world.
“We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
Each of us has turned to his own way” (6) The Bible calls this sin. The meaning of the Greek word for sin is “missing the mark”. In order to forgive our sin God laid the punishment of our sin on the servant. By the servant receiving our punishment as a substitute of us, all of our sin is forgiven. “The punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (5)
How thankful we can be! The people of this world say the cross is stupid or a failure, but it is the greatest show of God’s love for us.
An orphanage in France had a special rule. That was when a child that caused a problem was being punished, if someone wanted to be punished instead of the that child, that person would be punished.
One day a huge incident occurred. A child stabbed another child’s arm with a knife. The child who swung the knife around was locked up in dark room. The director of the orphanage asked the children, “Is there anyone among you that wants to substitute being punished by being locked up in a dark room?” Then surprisingly, the child that had been stabbed by knife raised his hand. Finally, the child who had been stabbed by the knife as a substitute was locked up in the dark room and the child who had swung the knife around was set free. The child who was set free was deeply moved. Even though while by his fault the other child had been badly hurt, that child said that he would receive his punishment. When he was touched by the other child’s love, a little at a time his heart showed change.
Like the child who had been injured being closed up in a dark room as a substitute, God’s child, Jesus, was trampled upon and whipped for us who are suffering from the punishment of our sins and infirmities. The Lord became a substitute for us and was smitten on the cross. “The punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.” (5)

You may be suffering from some kind of problem. If so, please look to Christ who was hung on the cross. Christ took on all your sufferings and died. So that you would not have to suffer Christ became your substitute. Of course, all people Christians and non-Christians suffer, but Christ has become your substitute for the root problem of our sufferings, sin. Therefore, the only thing that is necessary for you to do is to believe in Jesus Christ who died in place of you as your Savior. If so, the root cause of all of your worries, all of your pains, all of your suffering, sin, will be healed. The cross of Christ is the greatest love of Christ. It is the root of your life’s blessings and glory. Please accept God’s love for you. If so, you too can receive God’s love and forgiveness and peace and healing in Christ.

Today let’s look at the last half of Isaiah chapter 52.
First of all, I would like to talk about what kind of passage this is. This passage is the so-called song of the Lord’s servant. In Isaiah there are four passages which refer to Jesus Christ as the servant of the Lord. The first song of the servant is2:1-4. There it talks about the Lord’s calling. Then the second song of the servant is 49:1-6. It is about the Lord’s mission. In other words, the purpose for the Lord’s servant’s coming is written about. Then the third servant’s song is 50:4-9. It tells how the Lord’s servant will accomplish it. That is through the cross. Today’s passage is the fourth song of the servant. That continues until the end of chapter 53. Here is written the reason why the Lord’s servant must receive such suffering. In other words, it was the sacrifice of death. I would like to divide this passage and look at it in three parts. Today will be the first time to look at it.

I. The exalted servant of the Lord (Vs. 13)
First of all, please look at verse 13. “See, my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.”
“My servant” (13) is of course Jesus Christ. Here it says, “he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.” (13) That is because he “will act wisely”. (13) “Act wisely” (13) means to be obedient to the Word of God. As a result “he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.” (13) To “be raised and lifted up and highly exalted” (13) shows that the servant will be raised and lifted up to a height greater than anyone else can attain. He isn’t just a whimsical idea, but “will act wisely” according to God’s carefully planned eternal plan based upon God’s knowledge. Isaiah said to look at this servant of the Lord.
Please look at Philippians 2:6-11. Here too describes what the exalted Jesus Christ is like. “Who, being in the very nature God,
did not consider equality with God something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing,
taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness,
And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
and became obedient to death-even death on a cross!
Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:5-11)
God exalted Christ, “and gave him the name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” (Phil. 2:9-11) Christ was given “the name that is above every name,” (Phil. 2:9) and was exalted above all other things. Rather, if you look at Hebrews 1:3 and I Peter 3:22 he was exalted so high that he sits at the right hand of God in heaven. God’s servant, Jesus Christ, is like this. We must look at the Lord Jesus.
When this is said, there are some people that say that the servant isn’t Jesus Christ. For example, the Jewish scholar, Meir Ben Simeon, claims that the servant of the Lord isn’t Jesus. He said that Christians say that this is fulfilled in Jesus of Nazareth, but if that is so, why is he called “my servant” (13)? He says that if Jesus is God’s son, God himself; if He is one with God, then he wouldn’t be called “servant” and it would not be necessary for him to be exalted. For this reason the Jews while believing in the Old Testament as the Word of God, even up until today, firmly deny that this prophecy was fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
For the same reason the Jehovah’s Witnesses too refuse to accept Jesus as God. Their thinking is different than the Jews. They believe that Jesus is the child of God, Christ, the Savior, but that he is not God. They deny that Christ is God. They say that it is unthinkable that the servant of Lord would be God.
However, here it says clearly, “my servant will act wisely; he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.” (13) This shows that he will be raised and lifted up to a height greater than anyone else can attain and was exalted so high that he sits at the right hand of God. The Lord’s servant, Jesus Christ was like this. We must look to him.

II. The humiliation of the Lord’s servant (Vs. 14-15)
The second point is why the servant was so highly exalted. Let’s read verse 14 and the beginning of verse 15. “Just as there were many who were appalled at you- his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man
and his form marred beyond human likeness-
so will he sprinkle many nations.”
Here it is written that the Lord’s servant so that he would be exalted acted by an adequate plan. This was the cross. Here it says, “his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness.” (14) The Lord’s servant suffered this much so therefore God exalted him. Let’s open our Bibles to Mark 15:16-24.
“The soldiers led Jesus away into the palace (that is, the Praetorium) and called together the whole company of soldiers. They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. And they began to call out to him, ‘Hail, king of the Jews!’ Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their knees, they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him, they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him. Then they led him out to crucify him.
A certain man from Cyrene, Simon, the father of Alexander and Rufus, was passing by on his way in from the country, and they forced him to carry the cross. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha (which means the Place of the Skull), Then they offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he did not take it. And they crucified him. Dividing up his clothes, they cast lots to see what each one got.”
This is really the hardship that God’s servant, Jesus Christ, received. It was that prophecy. Christ was completely sinless, but He was struck, beaten, stripped and whipped, and given a good licking. Also “they put a purple robe on him,” (Mark 15:17) put a crown of thorns on his head, “spit on him,” (Mark 15:19) and made fun of him calling out “Hail, king of the Jews!” (Mark 15:18) Then to cap it all they nailed him to the cross. “His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness.” (14)
Have you seen the movie “Passion” by Mel Gibson? In this movie Jesus appears so drenched in blood that it is so tragic that many people couldn’t watch it. There were scenes that were that tragic. However, that was definitely not an exaggerated expression. Here “his appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness.” (14) The Lord’s servant Jesus Christ suffered that much.
“Just as there were many who were appalled at you.” (14) This “you” (14) is not the Lord’s servant. This is Israel. In other words, “just as there were many who were appalled” (14) by seeing Israel captured by Babylon and receiving terrible suffering, the Lord’s servant too will receive terrible suffering. The sufferings that Israel received and the sufferings that the Lord’s servant received are different in its source of cause and degree, but if you were to compare them, then they are really like that. For what purpose was the suffering?
Please look at the first line of verse 15. Here it says, “so will he sprinkle many nations.” This passage prophesies that the servant will take sin upon himself and die on the cross so this is the blood that will be shed. In Hebrews 9:22 it says, “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” By Jesus’ blood being sprinkled on many people, their sin was forgiven. The servant of the Lord, Jesus Christ, will like this do the work of forgiving many people of their sins. Therefore, “he will be raised and lifted up and highly exalted.” (13) Phil. 2 that we read earlier was also the same. Jesus Christ “Who, being in the very nature God,” (Phil. 2:6) didn’t stick to the thinking that he was God, but “but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant…and became obedient to death-even death on a cross! Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name.” (Phil. 2:7-11) Christ was exalted because of his humiliation. He was humiliated to the point of becoming “obedient to death-even death on a cross!” (Phil. 2:8) By this he completed the work of purification of many people’s sin by the sprinkling of his blood.
Last week was Christmas, but the in the Christmas story Christ was born in a barn and slept in a manger. It is unbelievable that God who is the creator of the heavens and earth would be born in a barn. He was born is such a place. He lowered himself that much. That was to save us who are soiled with sin. For that purpose the Lord’s servant lowered himself that much.

III. The glorification of the Lord’s servant (Vs. 15)
Therefore, the conclusion is to shut your mouth. Let’s read from the second line of verse 15. “and kings will shut their mouths because of him.
For what they were not told, they will see,
And what they have not heard, they will understand.”
The Lord’s servant will shed his blood and “sprinkle many nations” (15) and accomplish the work of salvation. Before the Lord’s servant, Jesus, shut your mouth. To shut your mouth is to be silent. “Kings will shut their mouths because of him.” (15) The only thing they can do is shut their mouths. They can only worship him. It is because acts are so awesome.
What does it mean to shut your mouth? Please open your Bibles to Rev. 5:6-14. “Then I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain, standing in the center of the throne, encircled by the four living creatures and the elders. He had seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent out into all the earth. He came and took the scroll from the right hand of him who sat on the throne. And when he had taken it, the four living creatures and the twenty four elders fell down before the Lamb. Each one had a harp and they were holding golden bowls full of incense which are the prayers of the saints. And they sang a new song:
‘You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased men for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God
and they will reign on the earth.’
Then I looked and heard the voice of many angels, numbering thousands upon thousands, and ten thousand times ten thousand. They encircled the throne and the living creatures and the elders. In a loud voice they sang;
‘Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!’
Then I heard every creature in heaven and on earth and under the earth and on the sea, and all that is in them, singing:
‘To him who sits on the throne and to the Lamb
be praise and honor and glory and power,
for ever and ever!’
Then the four living creatures said, ‘Amen’ and the elders fell down and worshiped.”
This is a scene in heaven. If you look at verse 6 it says, “I saw a Lamb, looking as if it had been slain.” (Rev. 5:6) This is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was put on a cross as a lamb that was slain. After that he rose and ascended to heaven and sits on the right hand of God, but the scars of the nails are still left on his hands and feet. It says that he stood looking like a Lamb that “had been slain.” (Rev. 5:6) Before this Lamb that looks “as if it had been slain” (Rev. 5:6) are 4 living creatures and 24 elders who I think can be said to be representative of the redeemed saints in heaven. “They fell down” (Rev. 5:8) and sang praises.
“You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals,
because you were slain,
and with your blood you purchased men for God
from every tribe and language and people and nation.
You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God
and they will reign on the earth.” (Rev. 5:9, 10)
Their mouths aren’t shut, but are singing praises in a loud voice to the Lamb. That is because by his blood he purchased every people as kings, as priest “and they will reign on the earth.” (Rev. 5:10) Before the work of the cross there are no words. There is only praise to God. This is the meaning of shutting your mouth.
This is what is expected of us too. Before God we have no words. What we have is only praise and thankfulness. For the Lamb who did that much for us that he looks “as if it had been slain” (Rev. 5:6) the only thing we can do is to give praise with our whole self. We can only sing: “Worthy is the Lamb, who was slain,
to receive power and wealth and wisdom and strength
and honor and glory and praise!” (Rev. 5:12)
It will also be what be what we will do in the course of time in heaven.
However, that is not just in heaven, but now, on this earth too, the same thing can be said. While we are on this earth too now before Jesus Christ who was slain for us, put on the cross and completed the redemption of sins, we shut our mouths, and can only bow down and give him praise Our thoughts that we can’t put in words can be expressed in praise and thankfulness.
For me, so ugly, so deep in sin, sinless Jesus Christ’s “appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness.” (14) He was spit on, stripped and whipped, and then to cap it all was put on the cross and died. What grace! It is really amazing grace!
John Newton who wrote the famous hymn, “Amazing Grace” was touched by the amazing grace of God and wrote this hymn. He was the captain on a slavery ship and one day, on May 10, 1748, when he was transporting black slaves between Africa and England the ship encountered a severe storm and almost sank. Newton awoke in the middle of the night and finally called out to God as the ship filled with water. After he called out, the cargo came out and stopped up the hole, and the ship was able to drift to safety.
From that point on, he avoided profanity, gambling, and drinking. He began to read the Bible and religious books and in the course of time he became a pastor. As he reflected upon this event, he realized how huge the grace of God is that he, the lowest of all men, a black slave trader, would be saved and he wrote “Amazing Grace”. That was 24 years after the event in 1772.
We are not John Newton, but we too before the Lord’s work of the cross should shut our mouths. Shut our mouths and just bow before the Lord and give thankfulness and praise. We shouldn’t complain and grumble. We should stop blaming ourselves and criticizing others. There is no other way but to shut our mouths and be thankful and give praise. That is because Jesus carried all your sins and the sins of other people on the cross and died. No matter how pathetic we are, we should stop self-pity like thinking that we are pitiful. We should stop complaining and grumbling thinking that we don’t have this or that and we should stop criticizing thinking that this person is bad and that person is bad. It is not necessary to complain or act like you are the heroine in a play. Just shut your mouth.
If you were at the foot of Jesus Christ’s cross, probably you would have nothing to say. There is a hymn like this. “Were you there when they crucified my Lord”?
Verse 1
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?
O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble,
tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they crucified my Lord?

Verse 2
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?
O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble,
tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they nailed Him to the tree?

Verse 3
Were you there when they pierced Him in the side?
Were you there when they pierced Him in the side?
O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble, tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they pierced Him in the side?

Verse 4
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?
O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble,
tremble, tremble.
Were you there when the sun refused to shine?

Verse 5
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
O! Sometimes it causes me to tremble,
tremble, tremble.
Were you there when they laid Him in the tomb?
If you were at the foot of the cross, your heart would tremble only. If you know that the cross is for you, then you won’t be able to say anything about yourself or other people. You will just have to be quiet and fall down. While just being overwhelmed by thankfulness which can’t be said in words, and amazing grace, you will just have to fall down. From repentance you will want to express thankfulness and joy with your whole body and spirit. Before God who knows everything, pour out your heart and give praise from your heart. That is real worship.
Please look at the end of verse 15. Here it says, “For what they were not told, they will see, and what you have not heard, they will understand.” By seeing the humiliation and exaltation of the servant, they will see and understand.
John 3:16 is a very famous passage and is the central passage of the Bible. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.”
God is love. God gave his sinless only Son, his Son who is more important to Him than Himself, for us. He loved us this much. Those who really see that and understand that will all shut their mouths. They will just be quiet and fall before him and worship him. They will bow before them.
How about you? Have you seen and understood the humiliation and exaltation of the servant? Jesus died for you. He died on the cross and redeemed you for your sin. He took a good licking. “His appearance was so disfigured beyond that of any man and his form marred beyond human likeness.” (14) However, that was for you. It was for me. That was how much he loves us. Let’s just shut our mouths and bow and worship him. Then be thankful for the work of the cross which he accomplished and let’s praise and worship Him from our heart. That is the proper response to make to the Lord’s servant who has been exalted.

Today I would like to talk about the good news of salvation from Isaiah 52. In today’s passage too, God’s words of comfort continue. In the previous chapter God spoke powerfully, “I even I, am he who comforts you.” (51:12) Here too, the Lord comforts his people. God is telling them how great the grace is for those who are redeemed by the Lord and that he will comfort them by various ways.

I. Only by grace (vs. 1-6)
First look at verses 1-6.
Vs. 1
“Awake, Awake!” (1) also appeared in 51:9 and 51:17, but it appears here again. In 51:9 the Israelites are calling out to God, “Awake, awake! Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of the LORD,” but in 15:17 God is talking to Israel. He is saying that you are the ones that must open your eyes. You have to wake up and see what the situation that you have been put in is like. Here is the same. God says to Israel, “Awake, awake, Zion, clothe yourself with strength! Put on your garments of splendor.” (1) God is saying to look carefully at themselves and what they are like.
The reason why they must look carefully at themselves and what they are like is because they are already saved. They have been set free from captivity and everything that they had lost has been recovered. “The uncircumcised and defiled will not enter you again.“ (1) This refers to Babylon. Babylon had been completely destroyed. Therefore, they have no need to worry about anything. This is written in the past tense as if this has already occurred, but in reality it hasn’t occurred yet. God is saying that because he will fulfill it they must act as if they are already saved.
Therefore it says in verse 2, “Shake off your dust; rise up, sit enthroned, Jerusalem. Free yourself from the chains on your neck, Daughter Zion now a captive.” “Shake off your dust; rise up“ (2) or “free yourself from the chains on your neck“ (2) means you must not forever appear as a captive. “Dust” (2) or “chains” (2) expresses the manner of slaves. They were captured by Babylon and had to work getting dirtied by dust and mud. Also their hands and feet and necks were chained by metal and wood chains so they could not move freely. However, now they have been set free from such conditions. Therefore they must shake off the dust and free themselves from the chains on them.
We too are the same. Before we were dirtied by the mud and dust of sin, and were chained by the chains of sin. However, by the grace of God by redemption through the cross of Jesus Christ we were saved. We are no longer slaves of sin. We have been set free from it. Therefore, we have to shake off the dust from when we were slaves. We must free ourselves from the chains of sin. We must not forever live as if we are slaves of sin. We must not live forever like a slave of sin dwelling on it, being sad about little things, complaining, and wailing and living like Gentiles with an empty heart.
Paul said the same thing in Ephesians. “As a prisoner for the Lord, then, I urge you to live a life worthy of the calling you have received.” (Ephesians 4:1) “Put off your old self, which is being corrupted by its deceitful desires; to be made new in the attitude of your minds.” (Ephesians 4:22, 23)
To do that you have to look at what kind of person you are. You have to open your eyes and look carefully at the condition that you have been put in. You have to look at the fact that you believe in Jesus Christ and are a completely new person, and that you have been set free from eternal destruction, and “shake off your dust” (2) and “free yourself from the chains on your neck.” (2)
Please look at verse 3. “For this is what the LORD says:
‘You were sold for nothing,
and without money you will be redeemed.”
Usually when you buy and sell things, there is giving and receiving of money. However, here it says that when Israel is set free from Babylon such giving and receiving of money did not take place. “Without money” (3) they were redeemed. That was because they “were sold for nothing.” (3) What this means is explained in verses 4 and 5.
“For this is what the Sovereign LORD says:
‘At first my people went down to Egypt to live;
lately, Assyria has oppressed them.
And now what do I have here?’ declares the LORD.
‘For my people have been taken away for nothing,
and those who rule them mock,’ declares the LORD.
‘And all day long my name is constantly blasphemed.’”
Here it says the Israel “went down to Egypt to live;” (4) and that “Assyria has oppressed them.” (4) That is the same as now. Now the people are struggling by the Babylon’s capture of them. If you look at the history of Israel they have been continually oppressed.
However think about it carefully. In 51:6 God said to Israel, “You are my people.” They are God’s, the people of God. We can’t remember God ever selling them. Certainly Israel as a result of their sins became separated from God, and were punished. That resulted in tribulation from Assyria and Babylon. However, it must be remembered that that was to discipline them and they hadn’t been sold to Assyria and Babylon. Even so Assyria and Babylon misunderstood this and thought the Israelites belonged to them and at their own discretion did harm to them. God himself was held in contempt the most. The Lord’s name was blasphemed.
For example, when Moses asked the Pharaoh of Egypt to let the people go, the Pharaoh answered, “Who is the LORD, that I should obey him and let Israel go? I do not know the LORED and I will not let Israel go.” (Exodus 5:2)
Also when Hezekiah encouraged the people saying that God would save Israel, the Assyrian field commander said, “Has the god of any nation ever delivered his land from the hand of the king of Assyria?…How then can the LORD deliver Jerusalem from my hand?” (36:18-20) They said things like this and blasphemed Israel’s God.
Thus the Lord will do what is written in verse 6. “Therefore my people will know my name; therefore in that day they will know that it is I who foretold it. Yes, it is I.”
The Lord’s name has been blasphemed so it must not remain overlooked. Therefore, God himself will rise up for his own name sake and save them. Then Israel will know the Lord’s name. Here what is clear is that God works in this way not for us. It must be remembered that it is for God’s own name. It is so that God himself will not be blasphemed. In other words, they were saved by the one way grace of God.
We were saved not because we are superior or smart or refined or a good person or earnest, etc. We are saved only because God loves us. It is only because God did it for us. It is not because of something that we did. It is for God’s name. God did this so that God’s name will be praised, and so that God’s glory will be shown.
In Ephesians 2 it says, “As for you, you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus. For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith-and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-not of works, so that no one can boast.” (Ephesians 2:1-9)
We were saved only by the grace of God. When we were dead in our “transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient,” (Ephesians2:1,2) we were dead so we said nothing. We couldn’t do anything on our own. We were saved because God gave life to us who were dead.
“For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
For that purpose God gave his only Son, Jesus Christ to us. He gave us a present. It is a one way present from God. Soon it will be Christmas. At Christmas we give lots of presents. The greatest present is that God gave us his son Jesus Christ. That is so “that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) That is by the one way grace of God.
There is a story about salvation by grace. A person fell into a deep hole. It was really deep and he couldn’t climb out by himself. Buddah came. “The bad things you have done in life caused you to fall. Too bad.” And with a sad face he left. Next Confucius came. “If you had followed my teaching, that wouldn’t have happened” and regretfully he left. After that one person came. He didn’t say anything. He lowered a rope and went down in the hole. Then he embraced the man and pulled him up. This was really Jesus Christ.
Grace is receiving a present that you don’t deserve. Pay can be compared to grace. Pay is the money you receive for working. It is can be said that those who work deserve the right to receive pay. However, salvation is not pay. Salvation is by the grace of God. If our salvation is obtained by our accomplishment and achievements, then heaven will be a contest of bragging. “I did this so I was saved.” However, heaven is a humble place. Salvation is grace so there is no one boasting there. The destiny of those who are dead in transgressions and sin are “by nature objects of wrath.” (Ephesians 2:3) They are destined to receive God’s judgment and to go to hell. “By nature” (Eph. 2:3) they should perish. However, God who is abundantly merciful, by his huge love, gave us who were dead in our transgressions life with Christ. We have been saved only by grace. Even though all of mankind is perishing, there is an exception. That is just like a person sentenced to death receiving a special pardon, and becoming acquitted as innocent. That is a great thing and there is no greater joy.
“Therefore my people will know my name.” (6) Let’s remember well that God’s salvation is by the one way grace of God and not by what we do. Let’s stick to our Christian life by faith.

II. Good tidings (vs. 7-10)
Next please look at verses 7 to 10. I will read verse 7. “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, ‘Your God reigns!’”
Up until now Isaiah has prophesized about Israel being saved from Babylon. Moreover, God will save them by his one way grace. This is the Gospel, the good news, the good tidings. Here it says, “How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news.” (7)
Paul quoted this verse and talked about how wonderful preaching the gospel is. I will read Romans 10:13 to15. “How then can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!’”
Usually we have an image of feet being dirty. However, these feet are beautiful because they “bring good news”. (7) Those who preach the Gospel are the most beautiful.
That is because they “proclaim peace,…bring good tidings,… proclaim salvation.” (7) They bring joyful news and proclaim it so they are filled with joy. Imagine it please. How happy would you be if you brought some good news and proclaimed it to someone? This is a message of hope and freedom so you would be moved and overflowing in joy.
The content of this message is “Your God reigns!” (7) It is the testimony that up until now you have been god. You have acted like you are the king of your life. The result has been destructive and really disappointing. Even though you thought there was no one as reliable as you, you realized there was no one as irresponsible as yourself. However, another king came, and pulled together your life which was in ruins. That is your God. ”Your God reigns!” (7) so you were saved from a destructive life and are able to live a life of peace and joy. Therefore, “How beautiful…are the feet of those who bring good news.” (7)
In a book that a person wrote, it is written about why the present day church is not strong. According to the book, the first reason is that the people who have accepted the Lord Jesus as their Savior have not become Christ’s disciples. They have believed in Jesus, but they are not living a life of following Jesus. They are still the king of their life. The second reason is that those who have believed in Jesus as their Savior have not become apostles. They have received a lot of teaching about Christ, but they don’t go out and preach to Gospel to other people.
That makes a lot of sense. No matter how much you believe in Christ, if you don’t follow Christ, nothing will change in your life. Even though you believe in Christ you will conduct yourself as if you are still in sin. Also if you have only received the grace of the Gospel and not put it on the outside, in other words, not proclaimed it, it will bring no joy. “How beautiful…are the feet of those who bring good news.” (7) Let’s become beautiful feet. Let’s become feet that “bring good news,” (7) beautiful, healthy, attractive, and good looking feet.
In verse 8 “watchmen” appear. “Watchmen” (8) were the men stationed on Jerusalem’s walls. They stood there and if the enemy came, they rang the warning bell. If a messenger came, they had to notice him quickly and open the gates and soon spread the message. These watchmen are lifting “up their voices; together they shout for joy.” (8) The reason for this is written at the end of the verse. “When the LORD returns to Zion, They will see it with their own eyes.” (8)
That is because they will see with their own eyes the person who brings the good news come and the Lord returning to Zion. When the Lord returns to Zion he will rebuild the ruined Jerusalem. This is really comfort. What man can’t do, God will do. Not only will God set Israel free from her captivity to Babylon, but He will also rebuild Jerusalem which is in ruins. The Lord comforts the people, and redeems Jerusalem. This is good news, right? And this is not just Jerusalem, but is the same for all countries. The Lord through Jesus Christ saved us from sin, and redeemed the city of heaven, heaven’s Jerusalem. The Lord will before the eyes of all nations, show the holy arm of God. By it everyone to the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God. This was already by the birth of the church fulfilled on a spiritual side. Christ’s salvation has been brought not only to Jerusalem, but to Judah and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth. To the ends of the earth God’s salvation is being seen.

III. Depart, depart (Vs. 11, 12)
Therefore, the conclusion is “depart, depart. Go out from there.” (11) They are to depart from there. Let’s read together verses 11 and 12.
Verses 11 & 12
Israel was saved by the one way grace of God. They have been clothed with beautiful garments. Also on their feet they have put on shoes of the Gospel of peace. In order to proclaim the good news they have entered into the preparation of the gospel of peace. What God wants them to do is ”Depart, depart, Go out from there.” (11) You have been saved from Babylon and have been clothed in beautiful clothing. Since you have left Babylon, you must “shake off your dust”(2) and “free yourself from the chains on your neck.” (2) Then “go out from there. Touch no unclean thing! Come out from it and be pure.” (11)
“But you will not leave in haste or go in flight:
for the LORD will go before you,
the God of Israel will be your rear guard.” (12)

It is not necessary to “leave in haste or go in flight” (12) like when you left Egypt. Your pursuers won’t come. Even if your enemy Satan comes and captures you again, you will not perish in your sins. A person who was saved one time will never lose his salvation. No matter how much you forget the Lord, no matter how far you become separated from the Lord, the Lord will never forget you. He will grab you and not let go.
Jesus promised, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt. 28:20) The Lord is with you always. (Matt. 28:20) “The LORD will go before you, the God of Israel will be your rear guard.” (12) “But you will not leave in haste or go in flight.” (12) Slowly, but surely you will be thankful for the grace of the Lord who redeemed you, and you must “Go out from” (11) Babylon. You must not stay in the sin forever. Since you have been clothed in beautiful clothes, since you put on good news, the preparation for the gospel, you must “Go out from” (11) Babylon, and you must be purified. You must stop clinging to you past life style and walk the road that the Lord who saved you wants you to walk.
What is your Babylon? What is the thing that you struggle with finding it difficult to leave? However, no matter what it is, you have been clothed with beautiful clothes. You have received the good news so you must depart from there. Slowly, but surely “go out from there!” (11) Let’s walk the road that the Lord wants you to walk. As a person saved from sin, how about now stopping remaining in sin and living a life of giving all to God?

Today I would like to talk from the last part of Isaiah chapter 51. Verse 12 says, “I even I, am he who comforts you.” The Lord comforts us. He sets us free from fear. Today I would like to talk about three points concerning this.

I. You are my people (Vs. 12-16)
First please look at verses 12 to 16. Verse 12 says, “I even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you that you fear mere mortals, human beings who are but grass”?
“I even I” (12) is stressing the I. There is no one else except “I” who can really comfort you. Only God can comfort you. So why do “you fear mere mortals, human beings who are but grass”? (12)
Please look at verse 13. ”that you forget the LORD your Maker,
who stretches out the heavens
and who lays the foundations of the earth,
that you live in constant terror every day
because of the wrath of the oppressor,
who is bent on destruction?”
For where is the wrath of the oppressor?
The Lord created the heavens and the earth. He is also “your Maker”. (13) How could the Lord forget you? Isaiah 49:15 says,　”Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!” God will definitely not forget you. God always remembers you and will help you. Even so we quickly forget this and fear “the wrath of the oppressor.” (13) It is not God who forgets, but us.
It is like we are heading for destruction, but we are saved from eternal destruction. By believing in our Savior Jesus Christ who died on the cross and then 3 days later rose again, we received forgiveness for our sins and eternal life. We will definitely not go to hell. We are saved from eternal destruction. So why do “you live in constant terror every day”? (13) There is nothing to fear.
That is not all. Please look at verse 14. “The cowering prisoners will soon be set free; they will not die in their dungeon, nor will they lack bread.”
“The cowering prisoners” (14) are the Israelites who were captured by Babylon. They “will soon be set free.” (14) There is no need to worry that they will “die in their dungeon” (14) or that they will “lack bread.” (14) The Lord will fulfill all their needs. In the same way, those who are enslaved to sin when they believe in Jesus and are set free from their sins, the Lord will fulfill all their needs so there is nothing to worry about.
Jesus said, “So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’” (Matt. 6:31) “Look at the birds… your heavenly Father feeds them…See how the lilies of the field grow…not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. ” (Matt. 6:26-29) Therefore, God will surely take care of you. “Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.” (Matt. 6:34)
What do you fear? What are you worrying about? Your social security being cut? Your health? It’s o.k. Your Father in heaven will care for you. “The cowering prisoners will soon be set free; they will not die in their dungeon, nor will they lack bread.” (14) If you depend upon this promise, then you have nothing to worry about.
Please look at verses 15 and 16. “For I am the LORD your God,
who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar-
the LORD Almighty is his name.
I have put my words in your mouth
and covered you with the shadow of my hand-
I who set the heavens in place,
who laid the foundations of the earth,
and who say to Zion, ‘You are my people.’”
This means that God is tremendous. And He says, “You are my people.” (16) This is awesome! We are really like dust, but he says this to us. We have been redeemed by Jesus Christ and are the people of God. This is our Christian identity. Whether we know who we are or not is a big thing. If you know that you have been redeemed by God, and have the awareness that you are a servant of God, then you have nothing to fear.
For example, think of yourself as the wife of a Millionaire. I think you have probably never thought of yourself as a wife of a Millionaire. However, in reality you are. The world is all God’s, the Creator’s. You are God’s wife. You are the bride of Christ. Does of a bride of a millionaire worry about her life? Does she worry about what she is going to live on tomorrow? If she will have money to eat? How she is going to pay for things? No. Whatever she needs is provided. We have been redeemed by God and have become the people of God. Therefore, it is not necessary to worry about anything. God is saying to you, “You are my people.” (16) This is real comfort, isn’t it? Don’t forget your position that you have been put in. You have been redeemed by God and are the people of God. If you remember this, you will be given a deep peace.

II. Awake, awake! Jerusalem (Vs. 17-20)
Next please look at verses 17 to 20. Verse 17 says, “Awake, awake! Rise up, Jerusalem, you who have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath.”
In verse 9 too it said, “Awake, awake”, but here it also says, “Awake, awake!” (17) In verse 9 Israel is saying to God, “Awake, awake, arm of the LORD, clothe yourself with strength!”, but here is the reverse. God is saying to Israel, “Awake, awake! Rise up, Jerusalem.” (17) He is saying to Jerusalem to open their eyes. That is because they are not looking clearly at their situation.
Someone said, “a prayer to open God’s eyes must also be a prayer to open your own eyes.” These are significant words! “A prayer to open God’s eyes must also be a prayer to open your own eyes.” That means that before we pray to God to open His eyes, we must first open our own eyes. We have to open our eyes and see clearly the situation that we have been put in.
The situation that they have been put in is in verse 17. “You… have drunk from the hand of the LORD the cup of his wrath.” This is the Babylon captivity. They turned their backs on God, and walked their own selfish ways so God punished them by raising up the country of Babylon.
Verse 19 says, “These double calamities have come upon you-
Who can comfort you?-
Ruin and destruction, famine and sword-
Who can console you?”
There is no one to comfort them. They have drunk too much wine and can’t support their bodies and are staggering, but there are no children to take them by the hand and guide them. That is because as it says in verse 20 their “children have fainted; they lie at every street corner, like antelope caught in a net. They are filled with the wrath of the LORD.” They need to open their eyes and see this reality clearly. They need to see this reality, repent, and turn to God. That is what is meant by, “Awake, awake!” (17)
How about you? Are you awake? Have you opened your eyes and looked clearly at the situation that you are in? Have you seen the cup of the Lord’s wrath directed at you? Have you thought about what it means? Or are you only looking at the surface of what is occurring before your eyes thinking that this is good or this is bad, alternating between joy and sorrows.
Please open your Bibles to Hebrews 12:5 to 12. Here the purpose of God’s punishment is written. “And have you completely forgotten this word of encouragement that addresses you as a father addresses his son? It says,
‘My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
because the Lord disciples the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.’
Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? If you are not disciplined-and everyone undergoes discipline-then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live! They disciplined us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”
Here it says, “Endure hardship as discipline.” (Hebrews 12:7) That is discipline. God disciplines us because “God is treating you as his children.” (Hebrews 12:7) All children are disciplined by their fathers. If there is a child that is not disciplined it is because he is not legitimate and not a true son or daughter. A father wants his legitimate child to grow up grandly so he disciplines. This discipline is “famine and sword” (19) God is disciplining Israel so that they will be able to partake in the holiness of God.
When the mothers were studying the Bible at the last English evangelism program there was a discussion that some of the mothers get frustrated and lose their patience with their children. The children don’t do what the mothers want them to do quickly. They take a long time. Without realizing it, they are nagging, “Do this” or “Do that” and then they get upset with themselves for doing so. Then I asked, “For your own physical training, what do you do?” They answered, “Curves”. (a popular women’s gym) “I go twice a week to Curves.” Just like you go to Curves to get your body in shape, God gives such frustrations to get our hearts in shape.
The result is “a harvest of righteousness and peace.” (Hebrews 12:11) We are really trained by things that if we could we would like to avoid, things that we hate, and frustrations. By such training and discipline we are able to have “a harvest of righteousness and peace.” (Hebrews 12:11) Therefore, God doesn’t discipline us because He hates us, but the opposite, because He loves us. God gives us such difficulties so we will have “a harvest of righteousness and peace.” (Hebrews 12:11)
Of course, the Israelites were captive to Babylon as a result of their sin. They left the God of Israel and ran to idols. However, God said to such an Israel, “You are my people” (16) and brought them up as God’s children carefully guiding them.
This is from an article in the Living Life devotional. A person bought a factory that was so decayed that no one had any interest in it and developed merchandise. The merchandise was sold with great speed and he became absorbed in enjoying making money. Then his Christian walk waned. When the church had a big event he showed

up, but he sat in the back, and before the benediction was over he left. However, in the midst of the expansion of business, he was visited by a financial crisis. Financing became debt. He lost his resources for selling merchandise.
Then for the first time he put his hands up and came bowing before God. He began praying. He lost his money and he sought God. Several days later he asked the Pastor to do an opening of business service. When the opening of business service was over he confessed before the people. “I started penniless and I have returned to being penniless. However, but this I was able to obtain a new life.” If by chance, my business had continued going well; my soul would have been separated eternally from God. Today I will open this factory, but I have a new faith. How thankful I am! My life starts from here.”
It’s wonderful, isn’t it? I think there aren’t many people who would make such a confession. He failed in business, but by that he met God and was able correct his direction in life so he was thankful. Greater than the pains of opening the business was the joy of salvation. This is something that by man’s brain can’t be understood nor accepted. It is a confession that only those people who really meet God, and recognize God’s authority and amazing providence can make. To open your eyes is things like this.

III. The cup of wrath that has been taken out of your hand (Vs., 21-23)
Lastly let’s look at verses 21 to 23. I will read verse 21 and the first part of verse 22. “Therefore hear this, you afflicted one,
made drunk, but not with wine.
This is what your Sovereign LORD says
your God, who defends his people:”
Verse 22 says, “your Sovereign LORD…your God, who defends his people” God defends us. I John 2:1 also says this:　“My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father-Jesus Christ, the Righteous One.”
Jesus Christ defends us. Moreover, he fights to defend us. That’s because the Lord is God and is a perfect defender. What “God, who defends his people” (22) says is written in verses 22 and 23. “See, I have taken out of your hand
the cup that made you stagger;
from that cup, the goblet of my wrath,
you will never drink again.
I will put it into the hands of your tormentors,
who said to you,
‘Fall prostrate that we may walk on you.’
And make your back like the ground,
like a street to be walked on.”
The Lord said to Israel that He will take out of their “hand the cup that made” (22) them stagger. Not only will they never drink it again, but God “will put it into the hands of” (23) their tormentors. Their “tormentors” (23) were Babylon. Before they said to Israel “Fall prostrate that we may walk on you.” (23) Therefore next the same thing will come down upon Babylon. Before those who tormented Israel will next drink the cup of God’s wrath. Therefore, Israel must not fear them. Those who don’t know God are destroyed by punishment, but those who are loved by God, those who are the people of God, God defends and watches over so there is nothing to fear. That is real comfort, isn’t it?
Now what do you fear? An American minister, Warren W. Wiersbe said that what makes us fear and when we look at all instances of fear the source and origin of fear is a lack of faith. Fear and faith can never go together. Therefore, to overcome fear, the first thing to do is by faith to look to God. Worship God and look at how magnificent God is and His glory. Remember that He is enthroned. The key to victory in this life is to look to God and win over fear.
There　is a 26 year old widow Ashley Smith who was seized as a hostage by Brian Nichols who was fleeing after shooting and killing inside the Fulton County Court house in Atlanta where he was to be tried. While being under his control for 7 hours, she persuaded him to surrender to the police. She was coming home from the store at 2:00 A.M. when she was seized as a hostage in the apartment parking lot. The person that seized her as a hostage had the day before in the Fulton County Court of Atlanta murdered the judge and 4 women peace officers with a gun. Then the murderer, Brian Nichols escaped and fled. In the midst of fear that she might be killed too, the reason that she was able to persuade him to turn himself into the police was because she felt that it was by the providence of God that she was a hostage and in his life too God had a planned purpose and read “The Purpose Driven life” by Rick Warren to him.
Ashley got such courage by looking to God. As it said in the book she read, she looked at the incident from God’s view point and trusted that God would do something good from it. In the most fearful moment, a really weak girl was changed into a merciful angel.
People who by faith overcome fear, can stay calm and can deal with the situation they are put in. Satan tries to bind us with a rope, but they make Satan powerless and are able to experience spiritual victory. You too who are God’s people are promised victory. That is really comfort, isn’t it? This comes by having faith in God who says, ““I even I, am he who comforts you.” (1) Therefore, look to God. Let’s worship this mighty God’s glory. Then you too will have victory over fear and can receive God’s comfort. Trust in these words: “I even I, am he who comforts you.” (1)Let’s experience how great God’s power works for those who believe in Him.

Today I would like to talk about “The Lord who comforts” from this passage of Isaiah 51. We daily have worries and struggles, and we wonder where we can find comfort. In today’s passage the Lord says, “The LORD will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on all her ruins; he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD.” (3) Truly, the Lord comforts. We can discover real comfort here. Today I would like to talk about 3 things concerning the comfort of the Lord.

I. Look to the rock from which you were cut (vs. 1-3)
First please look at verses 1 to 3. The opening statement of verse 1 is “you who pursue righteousness and who seek the LORD.” What kind of person pursues righteousness? In verses 5 to 8 the word “righteousness” appears ever and over again. If you look at this passage the word “righteousness” and the word “salvation” are written as being equaled. For example, verse 5 says, “My righteousness draws near speedily” and then it is followed with “my salvation is on the way.” Verse 6 too says, “My salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail.” Also verse 8 says, “My righteousness will last forever, my salvation through all generations.” In other words, “righteousness” and “salvation are used as having the same meaning. Therefore, “righteousness” is “salvation”. Also “salvation” is “righteousness”. And then if you look at I Cor. 1:30 you will see that this “righteousness” is Jesus Christ. It says, “Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God-that is our righteousness, holiness and redemption.” Therefore those “who pursue righteousness” (1) are ultimately those “who seek the LORD.” As verse 1 says, they “seek the LORD”, Jesus. However, at this time Christ hadn’t come yet so it is said that that those who pursue God’s salvation refers to the Israelites.
To Israel it says,”Listen to me”. (1) “Listen to me, you who pursue righteousness
and seek the LORD:
Look to the rock from which you were cut
and the quarry from which you were hewn;
look to Abraham, your father,
and to Sarah, who gave you birth.
When I called him he was but one,
and I blessed him and made him many.
The LORD will surely comfort Zion
and will look with compassion on
all her ruins;
he will make her deserts like Eden,
her wastelands like the garden of
the LORD.
Joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving and the sound of singing.” (1-3)
“The rock from which you were cut” (1) and “the quarry from which you were hewn” (1) is the place that Israel came from. In other words, it is their roots. Therefore, this is saying to look carefully at where they came from and how they came to be. Concretely as it says in verse 2 this refers to Abraham and Sarah. The roots of Israel were Abraham and Sarah. Israel came from them. They are told to think about Abraham and Sarah. That was because by thinking of Abraham and Sarah they will be given real comfort and hope. If they think about where they came from and how they were saved, then Gods grace will be seen and they will be full of thankfulness. As I have said many times before, at this time Israel was captive to Babylon and they were forced to live as slaves. In such a hopeless situation, by thinking about where they came from, by seeing the grace of the Lord they could overcome the suffering and live in hope.
Here let’s think about Abraham and Sarah. Abraham and Sarah appear from Genesis 11. They were originally from “Ur of the Chaldeans.” (Genesis 11:28) Ur was most likely a city on the Euphrates in southern Iraq. At that time it was the central area of the Mesopotamian civilization and culture. It was a large prospering city that had reached high levels of civilization and culture. However, they were pagans that worshipped a moon god. In other words, they were completely Gentiles, far from the real God, and they had no hope in this world. Then they were by God’s one way mercy, called out of this world. Genesis 12:1 says, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you.”
We don’t know clearly if this was when he was in Ur or when he was in Haram, but either one, when he was still immersed in pagan idol worship, by the one way grace of God he was saved. Then according to the promise it says that all the people on the earth will be blessed by him. In other words, he wasn’t born in the beginning as a people of God. He was completely a Gentile. He had no home in the world. It was by the one way grace of God that he was saved. If you think about this, then you will be thankful.
Paul wrote the following to the Christians in Ephesus, “Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called ‘uncircumcised’ by those who call themselves ‘the circumcision’ (that done in the body by the hands of men)-remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ.” (Eph. 2:11-13)

At that time the Ephesian Christians were returning to their lives before they were saved and were living like Gentiles without hope. In order to come to their senses and return to God it was necessary for them to remember how they were saved.
Whenever we are struggling, we often say that the past was good, but before doing so we need to think about what kind of past the past was. We glorify the past, but in reality it was empty. We didn’t know God, and were hopeless, lost like a kite whose string was cut. Without God no matter how many of the things we want, we get, even if we can live how we want to live, only a sense of emptiness is left. No matter how many pleasures we enjoy, each time the aftertaste is bad, emptiness and anxiety that can’t be expressed hover over us. We also have fear that when we die that it is the end. However, we were saved from all of this.
I met Jesus when I was a senior in High School. At that time I was like that. I didn’t know what I should become. When the door to go to college was closed and I was promised a job in a large company, I lived everyday how I wanted to live. I gave up feeling that I could never make anything out of my life so I thought I would live doing what I wanted to do. No matter how much I enjoyed pleasures, I never felt fulfilled, but rather emptiness was left. I lived like my feet weren’t on the ground. At that time I met Jesus. Then I knew clearly where I came from, where I was, and where I was going. I knew for what purpose I was living. Then joy overfilled my heart and I began to desire to live for the Lord. My family was completely uninterested in such things and when I went to church my family said, “Don’t get deeply involved！” My family was completely immersed in worldly culture. I was saved out of it. That was really a miracle. It is grace. Then in the course of time my parents who said, “Don’t get deeply involved！” also were led to a confession of faith and were baptized. There is a saying,”Return to your original intentions.” When I am having a bad time or struggling, I always remember this time in my life. When I remember this, my heart is overflowing with thankfulness, and I become happy.
Among us there are some who were born and raised in Christian homes and as long as they can remember went to church, but this is also grace. To have been given Christian parents also means you have been given the fortune of the Christian faith. Everything was given by God so it is God’s grace. Let’s remember this.
Sarah is also written in this verse. “Look…to Sarah, who gave you birth.” (2) Israel’s ancestor, Jacob’s father was Isaac who was the child born to Abraham when he was 100 years old and Sarah when she was 90 years old. Sarah knew that she was past the age of child bearing and unable to bear children, but she believed that God who made the promise was faithful. For example, no matter how handicapped the situation she was put in, no matter how impossible it seemed, she believed that God had the power to fulfill what he had promised. Then God according to the promise increased their descendants. In other words, Sarah was enabled to bear Isaac because she had the faith that God could do anything. No matter how impossible the situation seemed, it was by faith that Isaac was born, and even now his descendants are increasing throughout the world.
When the Israelites thought about the Lord they were given assurance that God will definitely take notice of Israel. And they were overflowing in joy and thankfulness. It is like as it says in verse 3, “The LORD will surely comfort Zion and will look with compassion on
all her ruins;
he will make her deserts like Eden,
her wastelands like the garden of the LORD.
Joy and gladness will be found in her,
thanksgiving and the sound of singing.”
Zion is Jerusalem. Jerusalem was destroyed by Babylon。There is no trace of it and it was reduced to ruins. However, “The LORD will surely comfort Zion…he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD.” (3) Now it is in the condition of being reduced to ruins, like a desert, desolate like wastelands, but “The LORD will surely comfort Zion…he will make her deserts like Eden, her wastelands like the garden of the LORD.” (3) Even if you see with your eyes how hopeless it is, “with God nothing is impossible”. (Luke 1:37) God who promised this is faithful so no matter how impossible of a situation, according to the promise, God will work. You will know that if you “look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth.” (2) You must “Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn.” (1) If so you will be comforted, have hope, and can regain your footing.
This is not just Israel, but we are the same. Christians too loose their own identity and become anxious. In such difficult situations we soon wail and complain.
However, if you “Look to the rock from which you were cut and to the quarry from which you were hewn,” (1) then you will be comforted. If you “look to Abraham, your father, and to Sarah, who gave you birth,” (2) you will be overflowing with thankfulness for God’s grace of one way salvation. You will be given hope that God will definitely restore the situation you have been placed in.

II. Listen to me (Vs. 4-8)
Next let’s look at verses 4 to 8. Verse 4 says, “Listen to me, my people;
Hear me, my nation.”
What they had to listen to and hear was that “the law will go out from” (4) God. He “will become a light to the nations” (4) and show them the way.
Verse 5 says, “My righteousness draws near speedily, my salvation is on the way.” I talked about that this “righteousness” and “salvation” is Jesus Christ. The time of the coming of Jesus Christ is near. This is 2000 years ago when Christ came and at the same time it is at the end of the world when Christ will come again to this world. When we look at verses 6 to 8, it is truly the scene of the end of the world.
Verse 6 says, “Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
look at the earth beneath;
the heavens will vanish like smoke,
the earth will wear out like a garment
and its inhabitants die like flies.
But my salvation will last forever,
my righteousness will never fail.”
This heaven and earth will not continue forever. They in the course of time will come to an end. “The heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment.” (6) The people that live there will “die like flies.” (6) If you give our whole life to such things, there is nothing more futile. That is because there is no comfort. However if we listen to God’s “salvation” and God’s “righteousness”, then we will receive comfort. That is because God’s “salvation will last forever.” (6) God’s “righteousness will never fail.” (6) God will never change, and his “years will never end.” (Psalm 102:27)
What do you listen to? What do you hear? What we need to listen to is the words of God’s salvation. That is because it “will last forever…through all generations.” (8)
Please open you Bibles to Isaiah 40:6-8. It says,”All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field. The grass withers and the flowers fall, because the breath of the LORD blows on them, Surely the people are grass. The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.”
This is the message of the prophet. The prophet cried out,”All men are like grass, and all their glory is like the flowers of the field… The grass withers and the flowers fall, but the word of our God stands forever.” This is hope.
In I Thess. 4:18 Paul advises, “encourage each other with these words.” “These words” (I Thess. 4:18) is the message that the Lord is coming again. At that time “the dead in Christ will rise first. After that we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. Therefore encourage each other with these words.” (I Thess. 4: 16, 17) The message that we must listen to and hear is truly that the Lord is coming. If we listen and hear this message, we can be comforted.
Jesus said, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” (Matt. 28:20) Jesus will always be with us “to the very end of the age.” (Matt. 28:20)No matter what, he will always be with us. No matter how large an earthquake comes, no matter

if you lose everything in a tidal wave, even if you are told that you are sick and only have a short time to live, God is always with us. There is no greater comfort than this: God is always with us “to the very end of the age.” (Matt. 28:20)

III. God has his timing (Vs. 9-11)
One thing that is necessary to receive God’s comfort is to know that God has his timing. Please look at verses 9 to 11. Verse 9 says, “Awake, awake! Clothe yourself with
strength,
O arm of the LORD;
awake, as in the days gone by,
as in generations of old.
Was it not you who cut Rahab to pieces,
who pierced that monster through?”
“Awake, awake!” (9) is a prayer to the Lord. It is calling out to God. He is calling out, “Awake, awake! Clothe yourself with strength,” (9) and without regret demonstrate the powerful “arm of the LORD.” (9) Their prayer is like “In the past I know the wonderful acts you performed to Abraham and Sarah. Also in the future I know you will perform the acts of salvation. However, look at the present. We are in a terrible situation. We were captured by Babylon and we are struggling being used as slaves. Therefore, save us from this situation.” For them it seemed just like God was sleeping. They felt like God didn’t do anything for them. Therefore, they are calling out to God saying, “Awake, awake!” (9)
“Generations of old” means “long ago”. Rahab is a symbolic expression for Egypt. Also “that monster” (9) is the devil, Satan who is behind Egypt. If you look at verse 10, this is the event of the Exodus so it is clear that Rahab refers to Egypt. They are saying, “in the generations of old” (9)God destroyed Egypt, which was thought to be the great world power, performed miracles, divided the Red Sea, and “made a road in the depths of the sea so that” (10) Israel “might cross over.” (10) God showed wonderful miracles to their ancestors. Please show the same miracles to us now.
If God in the past performed such great acts, the same God is now living and so God can do the same things or even greater things now so asking for that is natural. However, what they have to remember is that God has his timing. God had the power to save them. However, God’s timing to work is different from our timing. We want solutions as soon as possible, as soon as possible we want to prepare what is needed, and as soon as possible we want to be relieved. God’s timing is different. God really works at the latest possible time. One reason is so that we don’t fall into unbelief. If he

answers too fast, we are really stupid and forget that God did it and are prideful like we did it ourselves. We assume that we did it by our own merit, by our own faith, and by our own power. .
Therefore, God ventures to make us powerless, and works when we are unable to do anything. By doing that it becomes clear in everyone’s eyes that only God can do it. And then all glory is given to God.
We have to remember this. When our prayers aren’t answered, we soon become irritated and demand. We call out, “Awake, awake! Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of the LORD.” (9) However, not like this, but we must put the whole breadth of our faith on the “arm of the LORD.” (9)
When I was in Fukushima the church tackled the construction of a church. There was a piece of land in a good place that was 600 tsubo (坪). (1 tsubo is equal to 2 tatami mats so 600 tsubo is a piece of land the size of 1,200 tatami mats, a very large piece of land!) However, the land was in an area zoned for farming only so it could not be built on, but there is a clause that says that religious groups can build on farming land. To build on it you need permission from the prefecture. In Fukushima prefecture there had never been a religious group that had received such permission so it was thought to be a very difficult thing to do. However, I believed that “with God nothing is impossible”. (Luke 1:37) and that if it was the Lord’s will that it would be given so I went to the person in charge of it at the Prefectural office many, many times. Sometimes I went with a cake that my wife had made, but there was no progress at all. I gave up a couple times, but each time the Lord encouraged me with His Word.
One such time I talked to a person that was studying in an English class at the church. He said that it would be good to talk to a member of the prefectural council who was a qualified real estate dealer. That councilman lived near us and he had come to our house many times to greet us so I knew him very well. Immediately I went and talked to him about the situation. He said that he would talk to the appropriate person and he did. Then amazingly it progressed and in November 1997 the permission to build was granted. In Fukushima Prefecture that was the first time it had ever been granted. That was 4 and a half years after I first went to visit the man in charge at the Prefectural office, but in reality it was at the best timing. We had a plan for everyone to give and to pay for the land in cash and then borrow the money from the bank for the building. However, we still didn’t have all the money for the land. The final amount of the money needed for the land was given in the same month that the permission was given to build. Therefore, when we got the permission we were able to pay and buy the land. It was the best time to have received the permission. Until then I had prayed wondering why the Lord wasn’t answering, but in reality that was the best timing.

God “has made everything beautiful in its time.” (Eccl. 3:11) God leads us at the best time, in the best way. Therefore, we must pray depending on the “arm of the LORD” (9) that leads us the best way.
If we look at the Gospel of Mark, Jesus said to his disciples, “Let us go over to the other side.” (Mark 4:35) The disciples jumped into the boat and started out. However suddenly “a furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat so that it was nearly swamped.” (Mark 4:37) However, Jesus was sleeping in the stern. This upset the disciples and they woke him up saying, “Teacher, don’t you care if we drowned?” (Mark 4:38) In the words of Isaiah it would be, “Awake, awake! Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of the LORD.” (9) They are asking Jesus to do something. Then Jesus got up and rebuked the wind saying, “Quiet! Be still!” (Mark 4:39) Then the wind stopped and it became completely calm.
Jesus can rebuke the wind, and even the lake obeys him. Jesus is that powerful. However, God works at the latest possible time. He is “in the stern, sleeping on a cushion.” (Mark 4:38) However, the Lord does not slumber, or sleep. There isn’t a time when he doesn’t know our prayers. At the necessary time God will work immediately. God really works at the latest possible time not to give us a bad time, but so that we will put the whole breadth of our faith on the “arm of the LORD.” (9) That is so we won’t depend upon our own strength, but depend on the “arm of the LORD.” (9) He does this so we will see what God is like.
We tend to cry out, “Awake, awake! Clothe yourself with strength, O arm of the LORD.” (9) However, more importantly is to believe that God can do anything and then to leave everything to the “arm of the LORD.” (9) Then we will see God’s great works and be comforted, and praise the Lord. Such a person will have an experience like verse 11. “The ransomed of the LORD will return.
They will enter Zion with singing;
everlasting joy will crown their heads.
Gladness and joy will overtake them,
and sorrow and sighing will flee away.
Let’s put all in the hands of the Lord who controls all things. Let’s wait upon the Lord. Let’s listen to the Lord. May we receive real encouragement from the Lord. May we “enter Zion with singing.” (11) May everlasting joy crown our heads. This will be brought about by depending upon the “arm of the LORD” (9) at all times.

Today let’s look at chapter 50 of Isaiah. Today’s message title is “The Sovereign Lord helps me”. The words “The Sovereign Lord helps me” are repeated over and over again many times throughout the chapter. Let’s believe that “The Sovereign Lord helps me”, and that the Sovereign Lord helps you.

I. Israel’s delusion
First please look at verses 1 to 3. “This is what the LORD says:‘Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce with which I sent her away? Or to which of my creditors did I sell you? Because of your sins you were sold;because of your transgressions your mother was sent When I came, why was there no one? When I called, why was there no one to answer? Was my arm too short to ransom you? Do I lack the strength to rescue you? By a mere rebuke I dry up the sea,turn rivers into a desert; their fish rot for lack of water and die of thirst. I clothe the sky with darkness and make sackcloth its covering.’”
The Israelites blamed and showed resentment to God for their captivity to Babylon. They thought that God had abandoned Israel just like when a husband declares divorce and kicks his wife out of the house, or when a father sells his son to the creditors because of debt.
Towards this thinking the Lord says in verse 1 “Where is your mother’s certificate of divorce?.. Or to which of my creditors did I sell you?” In other words, if you say that the Lord dissolved the relationship, then show the proof. Where is the proof? Also if the Lord sold them to creditors, who did He sell them to? They are told to tell to which of His creditors he sold them as slaves to. The Lord will definitely not do this. The Lord with eternal love loves them. Therefore, even if man betrays God, God will definitely not betray us. Even if we are not truthful, God is always truthful.
The reason that they were like a separated child, sold as a slave child, is written in the last half of verse 1. “Because of your sins you were sold; because of your transgressions your mother was sent away.” In other words, they themselves are the cause of all that has happened. They became like this all because of their own transgressions.
Please look at verse 2. “When I came, why was there no one? When I called, why was there no one to answer?” The Lord had sent prophets to them over and over again and warned them. Even so there was no one who answered. The reason was not because the Lord’s arm was too short to teach them. Nor was it because the Lord lacked “the strength to rescue” (2) them. It was because they didn’t have faith. No matter how much they were warned, they didn’t listen to the Word of God. That was the problem.
You will see this if you look at the works of the Lord in the history of Israel up until then. The end of verse 2 to verse 3 says, “By a mere rebuke I dry up the sea, I turn rivers into a desert; their fish rot for lack of water and die of thirst. I clothe the sky with darkness and make sackcloth its covering.”
“By a mere rebuke I dry up the sea,” (2) is the event of the exodus. To save Israel out from Egypt where they had been captive for 430 years, God performed awesome acts. “By a mere rebuke” (2) God dried up the sea. This is the event in Exodus 14:21. They were in a serious crisis with the pursuing Egyptian army behind them, and the Red Sea spread out before their eyes, and with no place to flee to. “Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and all that night the LORD drove the sea back with a strong east wind and turned it into dry land.” (Exodus 14:21) It is this event.
Also “I turn rivers into a desert;” (2) is said to refer to the event of Joshua 3:16, 17) When Israel went to cross the Jordan river to enter into Canaan, “as soon as the priests who carried the ark reached the Jordan and their feet touched the water’s edge, the water from upstream stopped flowing” (Joshua 3:15, 16) and the water of the Jordan “was completely cut off.” (Joshua 3:16) Therefore they crossed over on dry land and were able to enter into Canaan. God can control the earth and heaven however he likes. Even so the stubborn Israelites resisted the power of God. That was the problem. “Surely the arm of the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear. But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” (59:1, 2)
How about you? When a difficult problem occurs, do you blame others or blame and show resentment and hatred towards God? That is misplaced. It is not God’s fault. It is not other people’s fault, but your own sin, your own mistake; your own failure is to be blamed. That is the real problem. Even so if we to push aside our own selves and blame others or blame God, we won’t be able to see the real solution. We all are really weak, sinful, and are stained with failures. I am so much so that I want to go inside a hole someplace. However, what is important is not how deeply sinful you are, but that you see yourself, repent, and return to God. If so, God will save you. This is the first step in solving the problem.

II. The Sovereign Lord helps me (vs. 4-9)
Next please pay attention to verses 4 to 9. First I will read verses 4 to 6. “The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue, to know the word that sustains the weary. He wakens me morning by morning, wakens my ear to listen like one being taught. The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back. I offered by back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.”
Here the words, “The Sovereign LORD” appear many times. You can see that it is repeated in verses 4, 5, 7, and 9. In reality this passage, verses 4 to 9, is the so-called third song of the servant passage. This has appeared 2 times up until now. The first song of the servant was in 42:1-4. There the servant’s calling is recorded. The second song of the servant is in 49:4-6.There the commission of the servant is recorded. The Lord’s servant is to be a light to the nations, and bring God’s salvation to the ends of the earth. Then here the third song of the servant appears. In this third song of the servant, the words, “The Sovereign LORD” appear.
That is because here the servant’s suffering is described. Up until now it talks about the Lord’s servant as the glory of the nations who will bring God’s salvation to the ends of the earth, but it hasn’t been told how this will occur. This will be by passing through suffering! Therefore, concerning the difficult walk of the servant, this is emphasizing that the Creator of the whole universe, “The Sovereign LORD” will help 100%. God is saying that it is Him, “The Sovereign LORD”, who will help, support, and lead the servant.
How “The Sovereign LORD” will help the servant can be seen in verse 4. “The Sovereign LORD has given me an instructed tongue.” A “tongue” (4) expresses talking. God will also give “ear to listen”. (4) In other words, “The Sovereign LORD” will give Christ a tongue to speak the Word of God and ears to listen well to God’s Word. This isn’t just listening. “The Sovereign LORD…wakens my ear to listen like one being taught.” (4) This means that the servant doesn’t just listen, but is responsive to the Word of God. “The Sovereign LORD” will waken his ears to respond to God.
Matthew 11:28 says, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.” How full of comfort these words are! The Lord Jesus spoke not sharp words, nor unpleasant words, but spoke words really full of encouragement, that heal the tired and give encouragement.
Also if you look at Mark 1:35 it says, “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” The Lord Jesus got up while it was still dark, and listened to the Lord’s voice. This is in contrast to Israel. Israel didn’t listen to the prophets that God sent many time, but the Lord’s servant, Jesus, willingly on his own, “while it was still dark,” (Mark 1:35) got up and listened without missing even one word. He didn’t just listen, but with a heart to obey listened to obediently follow it.
Please look at verses 5 and 6. Here it is talking about times of adversity and unfavorable circumstances and times of tribulation. “The Sovereign LORD has opened my ears, and I have not been rebellious; I have not drawn back. I offered by back to those who beat me, my cheeks to those who pulled out my beard; I did not hide my face from mocking and spitting.” (5&6)
This is a prophecy of Jesus’ passion. Jesus was spit on, beat, slapped, wiped, and in the end put on the cross. Again he was spit at and when he was put on the cross people insulted him saying, “You who are going to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself! Come down from the cross, if you are the Son of God!” (Matt. 27:42) Here is the expression “pulled out my beard.”(6) This is an act of mocking. To have your beard pulled out it in of itself hurts, but more than that your heart hurts. They did such things to the Lord’s servant, Jesus. Even so as it says here, “I did not hide my face,” (6) no matter how much bodily pain or psychological mockery Jesus received, he did not hide his face from it. That was because that was the commission that servant had received. He moved forward to the realities of that commission.
The reason why he could do this, the reason why Jesus was able to obey God’s will in the midst of tribulation is written in verses 7 to 9. Let’s read together verses 7 to 9. “Because the Sovereign LORD helps me,
I will not be disgraced.
Therefore have I set my face like flint,
and I know I will not be put to shame.
He who vindicates me is near.
Who then will bring charges against me?
Let us face each other!
Who is my accuser?
Let him comfort me!
It is the Sovereign LORD who helps me.
Who is he that will condemn me?
They will all wear out like a garment;
the moths will eat them up.
That was because he had the assurance that “the Sovereign LORD” would help him. Here “the Sovereign LORD helps me” is repeated over again many times. In verse 8 the expression is a little different, but it is saying the same thing. “He who vindicates me is near.”
The Lord’s servant had the assurance that “the Sovereign LORD” would help him and also he believed that God would acknowledge him as righteous and will vindicate him so no matter how terrible a tribulation it was he faced the tribulation right on and moved forward towards the commission he was given.
That is the same for us who have received redemption by the work of the Lord’s servant. “The Sovereign LORD” will help us. “He who vindicates me is near.” (8) No matter how great a difficulty we are in, we can be thankful to God without being fearful, giving up or leaving part way through.
Paul said the following in Romans. Please open your Bibles to 8:33-39. “Who will bring any charge against those whom God has chosen? It is God who justifies. Who is he that condemns? Christ Jesus, who died-more than that, who was raised to life-is at the right hand of God and is also interceding for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword? As it is written:
‘For your sake we face death all day long;
we are considered as sheep to be slaughtered.’
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor future, now any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”
That was Paul’s assurance. God justifies us. Jesus died on the cross; three days later rose, and now sits at the right hand of God and intercedes for him. If that is the case, no one can condemn him. No one can separate him from the love of God. He had the assurance that no matter what happens; “The Sovereign LORD” will help him. Therefore, he was able to in the midst of various difficulties to move forward in the mission of God.
III. Rely on God (Vs. 10, 11)
Therefore, the conclusion is to rely on God. Please look at verse 10 and 11. “Who among you fears the LORD and obeys the word of his servant?
Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light,
trust in the name of the LORD and rely on his God.
But now all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches,
go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze.
This is what you shall receive from my hand:
You will lie down in torment.”
Isaiah after stating the work of the Lord’s servant, and how the Lord’s servant responded, presses for a decision. There are two roads. One is to fear the Lord and is the road of listening to the voice of the servant and obeying. Even if you walk “in the dark” (10) were there is no light then too it is the road of trusting “in the name of the LORD and” (10) relying on God. “Let him who walks in the dark,” (10) perhaps walking through times of trouble or distress, similar to the experience of the servant, we are to “trust in the name of the LORD and rely on…God.” (10) Even if the road is dark if we “trust in the name of the LORD and rely on… God.” (10) then like the Lord’s servant we will be victorious. God vindicates. God helps.
The other road is the reverse: not listening to the Lord’s servant, and walking “in the light of your fires.” (11) “The light of your fires” (11) refers to your own thinking, your own strength, humanism. It is really like a “flaming torch”. (11) The word “flaming torch” appears in the Bible only two times, here and in Proverbs 26:18. A flaming torch is very heavy and awkward to carry so they “will lie down in torment.” (11) This is what people “who light fires” (11) and walk by them are like. Those who trust in the Lord and walk in the light of the God receive the Lord’s help. Those who walk in the light of their own fires, “will lie down in torment.” (11) In which light are you walking?
Our Lord Jesus said, “I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)
Jesus is the light of the world. Let’s follow Jesus. Whoever follows Jesus “will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) To follow Jesus is to believe in Jesus and to listen to Jesus’s voice and obey. Whoever follows Jesus listens not to the voice of people, but the voice of Jesus. We must listen to Jesus’ voice and obey. If we follow Jesus then we “will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12)

Do you know Rockefeller? He is said to be the richest person in history and has three times more wealth than Bill Gates. He was blessed in many ways. He lived to be a 100 and was blessed with many descendants. However that doesn’t mean that he didn’t have any troubles. He faced many more troubles than we probably experience, but he believed in “the Sovereign Lord” and was able to overcome the crises.
The first crisis he experienced came in 1863. He became an extremely rich man by crude oil. When he had just begun the crude oil business, a friend suggested that he buy a mine. He also had some interest in mining so he believed his friend’s words, and invested a lot of money and bought a coal mine. However, the mine was the same as an abandoned mine. It was a useless mine with no way to use it. No matter how much he dug only stones came up.
He had also invested a lot in crude oil so there was no place who would lend him money and he couldn’t pay the wages. Then the people that were working there rioted and caused an uproar. They locked Rockefeller up in the mine and demanded their wages. He was struggling so much that he even thought of suicide. However, he thought that he had only one thing he believed in. In the weary mine and prayed.
Rockefeller for the first time in tears called out to the Lord in prayer. As he was praying he collapsed and as if he was sleeping had a miraculous experience.
I don’t know if he was dreaming or not, but he saw himself walking on a road. The road he was taking was extremely dangerous so he became very weary and he wasn’t able to even move a step. Then after a while he collapsed on the corner of the land.
Then suddenly two huge hands came near him and woke him up, and helped him to continue walking on the dangerous road. Then when he came to a spot both huge hands left.
Suddenly he became conscious and looked around the area. He was still collapsed on the cold tunnel. At that time he heard a voice in his heart. “You have already come to the place you should be. When the time comes you will reap. Dig at the place you are in.”
Rockefeller was encouraged by the voice. He went outside the mine and made his last request to the workers to dig a little more. Then without fail there will be coal.
The workers who head these words thought that Rockefeller had gone crazy and had had a bad dream. However he was moved to tears as he earnestly said it so they thought in the end that they would believe him one more time and began to dig deeper for coal.

Right after they began to dig the tunnel, all at once instead of coal, “black water” came spurting up. It wasn’t coal, but crude oil. Rockefeller hadn’t bought a mine, but crude oil. After that through the crude oil business, he became the wealthiest person in the world. After that he never looked at any other businesses than crude oil.
“The Sovereign Lord” will help you. If you follow the Lord’s servant’s voice, you “will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.” (John 8:12) The problem is whether you believe it or not. Rockefeller believed. He walked in faith. He followed the three things that his mother taught. 1. Tithe 2. Go to church and 3. Obediently obey the church and don’t give the Pastor a bad time. His mother believed that that was the way to please God and she always taught him that. That is the way he lived his Christian life. He believed in the Lord and followed the Lord’s voice, As the result the Lord helped him and he was able to obtain awesome riches.
We too have difficulties. However, no matter what difficulties there are, believe that “The Sovereign Lord” will help you and listen and obey the Lord’s voice. The Lord will surely help you. This is the road that the Lord’s servant walks. This is the secret as to why even in the midst of the passion of the cross he was able to overcome.

Today I would like to talk about the last part of Isaiah chapter 49.

I. Israel’s complaints (Vs. 13,14)
First of all please look at verses 13 and 14. “Shout for joy, O heavens;
rejoice, O earth;
burst into song, O mountains!
For the LORD comforts his people
and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.
But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me,
the LORD has forgotten me.”
God will rise up to save Israel who had been taken captive by Babylon. Then He will set the captives free and send them home to the Promised Land, Jerusalem. “The LORD comforts his people” (13) and has “compassion on his afflicted ones.” (13) Therefore, the Lord says to “shout for joy” (13) and to “burst into song”. (13)
“But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me, the LORD has forgotten me.” (13) They said this because they had been captured by Babylon for 70 years. No matter how much they prayed, God said nothing so they had lost hope in God. If God had no interest in them, then God was not concerned about them. They felt “The LORD has forsaken me, the LORD has forgotten me.” (13)
However, their thinking was not based upon reality. It was wrong. God hadn’t forgotten them, but they had forgotten God. God had chosen them his people and redeemed them. Isaiah 41:9 and 10 makes the following promise. “I took you from the ends of the earth, from its farthest corners I called you. I said, ‘You are my servant’; I have chosen you and have not rejected you. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.”
God took them “from the ends of the earth” (41:9) and promised to always be with them. God will strengthen them and help them. God will uphold them with his “righteous right hand.” (41:10) Such a God would never forsake them. God hadn’t forgotten them, but they had forgotten God. Their lack of faith was the root cause of the complaints they made. If they were looking right at God then they would never make such a complaint. Their problem was that they weren’t looking at God.
There are times when we too are like this. When we become even just a little troubled, we say, “The LORD has forsaken me, the LORD has forgotten me.” (13) “No one notices me and I’m so lonely.” “It doesn’t matter whether I am here or not.” However, we say this because we are not looking at God. If we were looking at God, then we would definitely not say that. If you look at Jesus who died on the cross for you, your anxieties and sorrows will be blown away all at one time. That is because you will know how much you are loved.
The reason why we are depressed, the reason why we say that we are not loved or that no one understands us is because we have forgotten the truth. We are forgetful. We soon forget how much God loves us. That is the problem. Today after this we are going to have communion. The reason that we have communion is so that we don’t forget this. “Do this in remembrance of me.” (I Cor. 11:24) Communion is to remember what God did for us through Jesus Christ. If we remember this, we won’t be depressed. Rather, we will be overflowing with thankfulness and joy. Our church has communion once a month, the first Sunday of every month. However, it may be needed every Sunday or perhaps every day. We must not forget. We must remember how much God loves us.
Scores of years ago in Manchu 3 children who had just turned 10 months became sick with small pox. Small pox was the first contagious disease to be successfully eradicated from the world, but at that time the vaccination had not been discovered so many people were infected and died. Even if a person got better, the marks remained so in the world it was feared as the incurable disease, the disease of the devil.
Due to the terrible medical environment 2 of the children died because they weren’t able to receive proper medical care. One girl child only verily made it. However, the marks of small pox were left on her head and she was always bullied by the other children. She thought that if she had to live the rest of her life like this then it would have been better to have died. At such times she would remember the words that her mother always said to her. “Your small pox marks are a witness that God gave you life. Therefore, they are a sign of blessing.”
After many years passed, she has assurance in her heart. That was that God was the Lord of her life and that He that is the real guide. Then she had the assurance that those marks were proof that God loved her.
She is now serving as the wife of the pastor of a famous church in New York. If she looked only at the outward appearance only, then she may have thought it might have been better for her to have died. However, when God’s love came into her heart, she was able to receive an unmoving hope and so the marks of small pox changed to marks of love and grace. A person who lives with God as their Lord can at all times be a victorious person.
What are the marks of God’s love in your life? That is the marks of the nails on Jesus’ feet and hands. That is how much Christ loves you. If you remember that, then such thoughts as “The LORD has forsaken me, the LORD has forgotten me” (13) are meaningless. Instead you will be given thanksgiving and hope. Then you will be able to think of how to overcome your situation.

II. God’s love (Vs. 15& 16)
Next look at verses 15 &16. This is God’s answer to Israel who were lamenting that “The LORD has forsaken me, the LORD has forgotten me.” (13) “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget you, I will not forget you.” (15, 16)
“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast?” (15) Probably in human love there is no stronger bond than the mother child. A mother’s love is a world that exceeds logic. That is how much a mother thinks about her child. That exceeds logic.
However, even among such mothers there are some mothers that abandon their children for their own selves. There are mothers who get so into pachinko that they forget about their child in the car. Therefore, a mother’s love isn’t definite. However, God is different. God will definitely not forget you. “Though she may forget you, I will not forget you.” (16)
Verse 16 says, “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” This engraving is like tattooing. It is on a different level than just writing on your hands with a pen. You are engraved on the palms of God’s hands. Paul said in Galatians 6:16, “I bear on my body the marks of Jesus.” This was a brand. That is the same as a tattoo. It can never be erased. In the same way God has engraved us on the palms of his hands. Therefore, it definitely can’t be erased. On the palms of God’s hands your name is eternally engraved. Also always and forever, he is concerned about you. Therefore, the Lord will never forget us or abandon us.
The early Christian theologian, Augustine, wrote in his autobiography, Confessions that the greatest astonishing mystery that we can’t understand is that God loves us. More amazing is that God loves us as if we are the only person in the universe. Even if we are the only person in this universe, the Lord will joyfully die on the cross for us. God loves us to the end and takes care of us.
Is there anyone here that feels like there isn’t a God? Is there anyone one who thinks that “The LORD has forsaken me”? (14) In reality when we feel like this is really the time when God is the closest to us. When Jesus was put on the cross, he called out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46) That was the time when Jesus was the closest. God loves you. You are engraved on his hand. He died for you. The Lord will definitely not forget you. He is always “with you always to the very end of the age” (Matt. 28; 20) Until the end He will love you and watch over you.

III. The promises of God. (Vs. 17-26)
Lastly, let’s look at verses 17 to 26. What did God promise to the Israelites whom God said that he would never forsake or forget? Please look at verse 17. Here it says, “Your sons hasten back,
and those who laid you waste depart from you.”
“Your sons” (17) are the Israelites that are captive to Babylon. This expresses that they are going to depart from Babylon. In verse 18 it says, “’Lift up your eyes and look around; all your sons gather and come to you. As surely as I live,’ declares the LORD, ‘your will wear them all as ornaments; you will put them on, like a bride.” They will return walking like a bride wearing a beautiful wedding dress with ornaments.
Please look at verse 19. Here it says, “”Though you were ruined and made desolate and your land laid waste, now you will be too small for your people, and those who devoured you will be far away.” This means that Israel will become too small for its people. In the future people will come altogether so God’s people will be overflowing.
For that reason as it says in verse 20 and 21 the people there will say in their hearts, “This place is too small for us; give us more space to live in” (20) and “Where have they come from?” (21) It will be that full.
That’s not all. Please look at verse 22. “This is what the Sovereign LORD says:
‘See, I will beckon to the Gentiles,
I will lift up my banner to the peoples;
they will bring your sons in their arms
and carry your daughters on their shoulders.”
This means that the Lord will command the Nation’s Kings to serve Israel so the nations will bring Israel back like “sons in their arms” (22) and like “daughters on their shoulders.” (22) There they will receive the full service of the Kings. Then the Israelites will realize that they are the people of God and God hadn’t abandoned them and hadn’t forgotten them.
In addition please look at verses 24 and 25. “Can plunder be taken from warriors, or captives rescued from the fierce? But this is what the LORD says: ‘Yes, captives will be taken from warriors, and plunder retrieved from the fierce; I will contend with those who contend with you, and your children I will save.”
It is the most difficult work to rescue the captives and to retrieve the plunder from Babylon who was victorious in battle and controlled the world. The common sense at that time was that if you won in battle, then you took the plunder as you wanted. Therefore, if you had no power then you were plundered and you had to give up. Therefore, for Israel who were captive to such a powerful enemy they were worried and uncertain as to whether they could be helped out of the situation.
However, the Lord can do what seems to be impossible for man. He proclaims, ‘Yes, captives will be taken from warriors, and plunder retrieved from the fierce;” (25) Here it says, “I will save.” (25) It is emphasizing that “I will save.” (25) God can do this. By doing that “all mankind will know that I, the LORD, am your Savior, your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.” (26)
This is the promise to the Israelites, the people of God. This encouraged and gave hope to the Israelites who were disappointed and without hope said, “The LORD has forsaken me, the LORD has forgotten me.” (13) Then God just like he did for Israel encourages and gives hope to us who are disappointed and without hope saying, “The LORD has forsaken me, the LORD has forgotten me.” (13) by promising us that we will return to the eternal city, God’s Jerusalem. In the course of time, someday, we too will be set free from sin which binds our hands and feet and tortures us and we will return to heaven. You may not believe it but God can do this. God is “your Savior, your Redeemer.” (26) He says, “I will save.” (25) In reality this Babylon prophecy is a pattern of our liberation from sin and going to heaven. There you will receive God’s eternal comfort. This is real hope.
Bolt who received 14 Gold medals announced that the 2016 Rio de Janiero Olympics will be the last Olympic and he will retire. The reason is he lost sight of his impelling goal. No matter how many Olympic Gold medals we win, it isn’t our goal. Our life goal is to win our way to heaven. That is not by our strength, but by God’s power, by God’s mercy that it is given. God saves us, redeems us, and leads us to heaven. That is promised. This is God’s promise. There is no stronger encouragement than this. This is the goal that impels us. We are promised that we will receive this kingdom. If so, why is it necessary to be depressed? We get depressed because we don’t know God. If we know how great God is, and what He has done for us, then instead we will be overflowing in thankfulness and joy. God will definitely never forget you.
Now I am in my daily devotions reading Judges. Just now I am studying about the man, Samson. He was a Nazarene devoted to God, dedicated to God. Even so he loved a Philistine woman and married her. Even though he was devoted to God, like this he sinned to God. That’s not all. He really gets carried away and tried at his own wedding banquet to build up the party by telling a riddle. He said that if someone could answer the riddle then he will give them 30 sets of clothes. “Outer of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong something sweet.” (Judges 14:14) What is it? The young Philistine men at the banquet in order to know the answer threatened his wife. They told her to find out the answer from Samson. When the men told Samson the answer and he realized how they got the answer, “He went down to Ashkelon (one of the five principal cities of the Philistines) struck down thirty of their men, stripped them of their belongings and gave their clothes to those who had explained the riddle.” (Judges 14:19) By his own road he chose, he got trapped. He made a mistake. That’s not all. When he returned to his father’s house he found that his “wife was given to the friend who had attended him at his wedding.” (Judges 14:20)He was terribly heart sick, and experienced deep feeling of loss. It could be said that he reaped what he planted, but God didn’t forget Samson.
Samson, who was burning with revenge, struck down a thousand Philistines with a fresh jawbone of a donkey. Then when he went again to the land of the Philistines and he met a woman named Delilah and married her. The Philistines came to her and asked her to lure Samson into showing her “the secret of his great strength.” (Judges 16:5) As might be expected of Samson, he was unwilling to give the answer. Three times he deceived her, but every day she said the same thing insistently begging him. She urged him to the point that he felt like he had reached the end of his rope. “So he told her everything” (Judges 16:17) saying that the source of his strength is his long hair so if his hair is cut off, then his strength will leave and he will become weak and become like the average man.
As it turned out while he was sleeping the Philistines came and shaved his hair off so his strength left him. He became a completely powerless man. Then the Persians gouged out his eyes, and bound his legs with bronze shackles, and put him in prison. Even though he was a Nazarene devoted to God like this he defied God many times and completely lost his strength.
However, God didn’t forget Samson. Even if Samson forgot God, God didn’t forget him. In the course of time when the Philistines brought Samson out to the temple of Dagon to entertain them, he called out to the Lord, “O Sovereign LORD, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more.” (Judges 16:28) Then Samson pushed the two central pillars on which the temple stood and that he was leaning on “with all his might and down came the temple on the rulers and all the people in it. Thus he killed many more when he died than while he lived.” (Judges 16:30) God gave him, one more chance. No matter how much he sinned, God didn’t give up on him. He didn’t abandon him. No matter how much he forgot God, God didn’t forget him.
The writer of Psalms 23 confesses, “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me.” (Psalm 23:4) Whether we feel it or not, God is always with us. To believe this is the faith of Emmanuel. God with his invisible hand is helping us.
Therefore, even if you think you are abandoned or that God gave up on you, you need to know that God is always with you. You are always remembered by God. God will not forget you. No matter what you are engraved on the palm of God’s hand. You are so precious that you are engraved on the palm of God. Our heart is warmed when we are remembered in the thoughts of someone or when we are not forgotten. Even what is more moving is that creator of the heavens and the earth, the ruler of all, God, doesn’t forget you and remembers you. Even if other people forget you, God will never forget you. God loves with endless power and grace.

Today let’s look at Isaiah chapter 49. Today’s message title is “Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation”. Verse 8 says, “This is what the LORD says: ‘In the time of my favor I will answer you, and in the day of salvation I will help you.’”
Isaiah prophesized that the Messiah, the anointed one, would come to set Israel, which was captive to Babylon, free. Just as the prophecy said, in 538 B.C., 70 years after Israel was captured and deported by Babylon, Israel was set free by the Persian King Cyrus. This liberation was God’s favor and salvation.
Also this was a pattern of the liberation of people captive as slaves to sin being set free by God’s Savior, Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul quoted this passage and then said, “I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” (II Cor. 6:2) This liberation is the real favor of God and salvation in the New Testament. “The time of God’s favor” (II Cor. 6:2) and salvation is now. Today I would like to talk about the abundance of “God’s favor” (II Cor. 6:2) and salvation.

I The mercy of God (Vs. 7)
First let’s look at what the Lord is like who saves us from our sin. Please look at verse 7. “This is what the LORD says-
the Redeemer and the Holy One of Israel-
to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation,
to the servant of rulers:
‘Kings will see you and rise up,
princes will see and bow down,
because of the LORD, who is faithful,
the Holy one of Israel, who has chosen you.”
Here it tells us what God who saved the people of Israel from captivity is like. He is “the Redeemer and the Holy One of Israel.” (7) To redeem means to pay the price and buy. It may be easier understood if it is said that he paid the ransom money and set them free. Often kidnappings occurs for ransom money. Those on the side of the kidnapped pay a ransom and the kidnapped is set free In the same way, when God’s people, Israel, were suffering as captives, slaves to Babylon, God paid a sufficient price and bought them back, and set them free from their sufferings.
Also here it says, “The Holy One”. (7) “The Holy One” (7) means the one separated from this world. This world is filthy with sin, but God is “the Holy One” (7) with no sin, stains, or not even one spot of dirt. Like this “the Holy One”, (7) the Lord, paid the price and redeemed Israel who had fallen to sin.
The Lord says “to him who was despised and abhorred by the nation, to the servant of the rulers: ‘Kings will see you and rise up, princes will see and bow down, because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy one of Israel, who has chosen you.’” (7)
He “who was despised and abhorred by the nation” (7) and “the servant of the rulers” (7) are Israel. Now the Lord, Israel’s Savior, will save Israel who is captive to Babylon, “despised and abhorred…the servant of the rulers” (7) from their terrible situation. Then now Babylon which captured Israel and made them slaves will after this bow down to Israel.
This will happen because “the Holy one of Israel” (7) will rise up and save them. 70 years have already passed since Israel was captured by Babylon and deported. 70 years are a lot of years. For a person that is 70 years old that would have been from the time he was born up until now. During that time he was always captive, unavoidably living in discomfort.　Therefore, the amount of Israelite who had a real faith had decreased. Many wondered if there was really a God, why they had to continue in this terrible condition. They thought that if even they were told they would be set free, 70 years had passed so God is no help. They were controlled by such thinking.
However, to such people the Lord said, “Kings will see you and rise up, princes will see and bow down, because of the LORD, who is faithful, the Holy one of Israel, who has chosen you.” (7) Here what I think is wonderful is that they are chosen by God. If you are chosen by God, then no matter what God will be responsible for you to the end. He will definitely save you.
Please look at verse 15. This is next week’s passage, but here it says, “Can a mother forget the baby at her breast and have no compassion on the child she has borne? Though she may forget, I will not forget you!” God will never forget you. Probably in human love there is no stronger bond than the mother child. A mother’s love is a world that exceeds logic. That is how much a mother thinks about her child. That exceeds logic.
However, it is sad, but there are cases when a mother abandons her child. There are cases when a mother gets so into pachinko that she forgets about her child in the car and he dies. Therefore, a mother’s love isn’t definite. However, God is different. God will definitely not forget you.
Verse 16 says, “See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands.” This engraving is like tattooing. It is on a different level than just writing on your hands with a pen. Archeologically as old as about 1300B.C. there was such a custom. On Ancient Egypt’s mummies it has been found that they already done tattooing. It was a sign that the bride belonged to the groom or that a slave was that master’s slave so as a sign is was put on the arm or leg. Therefore, to be engraved on the palms of God’s hands is to be eternally never forgotten.
Moreover, how could God who went to point of putting his only son on the cross for you, forget you? More than having a tattoo on his hands, he has the scars of the nails of the cross. The scars of the cross will eternally never disappear. God that loves you that much would definitely not forget you. Sometimes we say that no one notices us, no one loves us, and we are lonely, but that is because we are not looking at God. If you look to God, if you remember what God did through Jesus, you will definitely not be depressed. You will be full of thankfulness. God promised to love you, to sympathize with you, to stand beside you, and until the end of the world to be with you. The important thing is that you have God’s mercy in your heart.

II. Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation (Vs. 8)
The second point is about when the day of salvation is. It is now. Please look at verse 8. It says, “This is what the LORD says:
‘In the time of my favor I will answer you,
and in the day of salvation I will help you;
I will keep you and will make you
to be a covenant for the people,
to restore the land
and to reassign its desolate inheritances.”
In the age of Isaiah the time of God’s favor and “the day of salvation” (8) is the day when Israel is set free from Babylon. The Lord is promising that such a day will definitely come.
Paul quoted these words and said the following in II Cor. 6:1 and 2, “As God’s fellow workers we urge you not to receive God’s grace in vain. For he says, ‘In the time of my favor I heard you, and in the time of salvation I helped you.’ I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.”
Paul uses it as the day when through Jesus Christ all men will be set free from bonds of sin which is like the captivity of Babylon. In other words, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (II Cor. 5:21) God through Christ reconciled the world to himself “not counting men’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.” (II Cor.5; 19) “Therefore, is any one is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come! (II Cor. 5:17) This is the time of God’s favor, and “the day of salvation.” (8) God fulfilled this through Jesus Christ. God’s blessings are already before your eyes. Therefore, don’t accept it for nothing. Take hold of it now.
We all have a past, present, and a future. There is no one without a past and there is no one to whom the future does not come. The certain thing is that the past has already passed by. Also the future has still not come. Only the now is in front of us. Some people live in the past. They think about how great the past was. However, we can never return to our past a second time. In reverse, some people live in the future always thinking about what they are going to do. They are just putting all their hope in the future. The past too and the future too are just in the hands of God. What God is allowing us to decide is the now. We can live only in the now.
Many people want to live an abundant life. An abundant life is made by having an abundant life now. “Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” (II Cor. 6:2) If now you don’t receive the blessing that God has prepared for you, you may not be able to be grasp them again. Now to believe in Jesus Christ as the savior that God has prepared is to not be wasteful of the Lord’s grace.
This is a fable. One day the training period for the disciples of the devil was finished. At last it was time for Devil’s disciples to be sent out into the world. The boss of the devils said to his followers, “Now you are being sent out to the place of humans. What is your strategy?”
Then one of the disciples said, “”Boss, I think I want to do this. I want to go to the place of humans and make them believe that there is no god.”
Then the boss of the devils said, “You mustn’t do that. Because all men are made by God so instinctively they know that there is a God. Therefore it is difficult to deny it. Your strategy is no good.”
Then the second disciple said, “How about this method? How about telling them that there is no hell, and no judgment of their sin? There is only heaven. It’s o.k. You all can go to heaven. You have nothing to worry about. Live your life as you please so that you have no regrets.”
Then the boss said, “That’s no good either. Man is instinctively fearful that if he does something bad then he will go to hell. Therefore, that too is difficult to deny.”
Then the third disciple said, “Then Boss, how about this? We’ll get them to assume that there is a God, and that there is a hell. However, it is not necessary to believe now. You can believe when you have a little more free time. After you get a little older is fine. After you study a little more is fine.”
The Boss said, “That is a good method.”
Then the devils were successful with that strategy. Lots of people always say, “After a little while, after I have a little more free time, after I get older, I’ll believe, but not now.” They say things like that and then miss the chance. However, there is definitely a limit on our life. No one knows when it will end. Also no one knows when the Lord Jesus will come to get his people, when the second coming is. However, when that time comes, it is too late. The back door will be closed so it will be too late.

Please remember Noah’s ark. In the age of Noah, even though Noah advised the people that the flood was coming so to repent and enter the ark, the people laughed and took no notice of his advice. However, one day, the door of the ark was shut. The back door of the ark was closed. Then for 40 days and nights it continued to rain. The earth was covered by floods. All the people and animals that didn’t enter the ark were destroyed. No matter how much people desired salvation, the door would not open. In the course of time such a time will come. However at that time it will be too late.
“Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” (II Cor. 6:2) Now while you are listening to this message of salvation is the opportune time. At this time of God’s favor and “the day of salvation” (8) may your heart be opened and may you believe in Jesus Christ’s salvation and may you begin living a life of walking with the Lord.

III. Streams of living water will flow (Vs. 9-12)
Lastly, let’s look at what will happen to those who receive God’s salvation. Please look at verses 9 to 12. “To say to the captives ‘Come out.’
and to those in darkness, ‘Be free!’
They will feed beside the roads
and find pasture on every barren hill.
They will neither hunger nor thirst,
nor will the desert heat or the sun beat upon them.
He who has compassion on them will guide them
and lead them beside springs of water.
I will turn all my mountains into roads,
and my highways will be raised up.
See, they will come from afar-
some from the north, some from the west,
some from the region of Aswan..
This is a promise that the people that are captive to Babylon will be set free and that they will return to Jerusalem. “The captives” and “those in darkness” of verse 9 refer to their condition when Israel was captive to Babylon. Then when such people are told to “Come out” (9) and “Be free!” (9) “they will feed beside the roads and find pasture on every barren hill.” (9) Wherever God brings his people he will take care of them and they will not lack anything. Even ground “beside the roads” (9) will be good ground for the sheep of his pasture to feed in. They will be provided for so well that “they will neither hunger nor thirst.” (10) They will be sheltered and protected from everything. “Nor will the desert heat or the sun beat upon them.” (10) They will be under God’s gracious guidance. “He who has compassion on them,” (10) in bringing them out of their captivity from Babylon, “will guide them beside springs of water.” (10) This is how it will be for the Israelite who are set free from Babylon. This is also what it is like for those who are set free from their sin by Jesus Christ.
Jesus said, “’if anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.’ By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.” (John 7:37-39)
Our salvation has not been completely finished yet, but even on this earth too we can foretaste it. When we believe in our Savior Jesus, “as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” (John 7:38) By believing in Jesus the living hell on earth will become a paradise on earth. How wonderful that is!
There is a man named Fred Smith who lives in America. He is quite old, 90 years old. Moreover he isn’t in great health.4 times a week he has to have a dialysis. He is one of the journalists for the Christian magazine, “Leadership journal”. He said the following, “I am happy every day. That is because I learned to accept the things that I can’t change, not to be mournful for the things I lost, and to enjoy the things that I have left. Looking back over everything my faith always grew at times of adversity Everyone has times of depression, but such times, are really times for chances of growth. The sufferings of life are not punishments from God. Such times are really times for chances of growth. Then if our faith grows, we can help others.
Jesus Christ said, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” (John 7:38)
The grace that we receive from God will flow from within us and water the people around us. However, a lake is not like this. It just receives and accumulates. Jesus said, “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” (John 7:38) We are living to receive God’s grace, and for the blessings to flow out to the people around us. This begins by going to Jesus and believing in Him. These blessings are already prepared. Please receive salvation. ““I tell you, now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day of salvation.” (II Cor. 6:2)