カテゴリー: Isaiah

Today is the last message on Isaiah.  Just as the whole Bible is composed of 66 books, the whole book of Isaiah consists of 66 chapters. Also just as the Bible finishes with Revelation’s new heavens and new earth the end of Isaiah too describes the final goal of human history.

1. Those who survive (Vs. 18,19)

First let’s look at verses 18 and 19. Verse 18 says, “And I because of what they have planned and done, am about to come and gather the people of all nations and languages, and they will come and see my glory.”

Here the Lord’s plan of missions is displayed. That it that “some of those who survive” (19) in other words, the remnant of Israel, will be sent and proclaim God’s glory “to the nations…that have not heard of “(19) the God of the Bible.

Here is says, “Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant islands.” (19) The Lydians were probably from Lydia in the western Asian Minor. Tubal was in the area of present day Turkey. “The distant islands” (19) includes Japan. In other words, God will send them to the entire world. Through them the Lord’s name will be proclaimed in the world. The Lord’s glory will be seen throughout the world.

If you look at verse 19, it says, “I will set a sign among them.” God “will set a sign” (19) among those who preach God’s glory to the entire world. What is this sign? Some people think that it is the stamp that is stamped on the heads of 144,000 people in Revelations chapter 7. Also other people think it is the 120 Jews of Acts 1:15. It is through them that the first church was born. It was through them that God’s Gospel was proclaimed though out the entire world. They say that since they were chosen by God to go to the nations and preach the Gospel that they are the remnant.

However, this “sign” (19) is probably Jesus. That’s because Matt. 12:38-40 says this, “Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, ‘Teacher, we want to see a sign from you.’

He answered, ‘A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah.  For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.’”

Jesus says that the sign is “the Son of Man” who “will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matt. 12:40) In other words, it is Jesus who died on the cross and went to down to hades and spent “three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.” (Matt. 12:40)  God “will set a sign among them.” (19) “Them” (19) can said to refer to Christians who believe in Jesus. God has set a sign among Christians who are the remnant that God has chosen and through them to preach to the entire world that has not heard of Jesus, to prepare those who are saved, and to bring them before God. When you think of this, it can be said that the Word of God, now too is to be continuously and constantly preached. God has planned through us Christians to proclaim God’s glory to the ends of the earth.

It is for that purpose that God chose us. “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit-fruit that will last-and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.” (John 15:16) You were chosen by God to do his precious work. You are those who survived. As one who survived are you prepared to do so? What are you doing to prepare yourself to proclaim God’s glory among the nations?

1. History’s final goal (Vs. 20-23)

Next let’s look at verses 20 to 23. Verse 20 says, “’And they will bring all your people, from all the nations, to my holy mountain in Jerusalem as an offering to the LORD- on horses, in chariots and wagons, and on mules and camels,’ says the LORD. ‘They will bring them, as the Israelites bring their grain offerings, to the temple of the LORD in ceremonially clean vessels.’”

“They” (20) are “those who survive”. (19) They will bring all the people who were saved “from all the nations”, (20) to the Lord’s holy mountain “in Jerusalem as an offering to the LORD.” (20)  The reason they bring all the people is to worship. There the Jewish Christians that believed in Jesus and are saved and the Gentile Christians that believed in Jesus and are saved will in unity worship God.

Please look at verse 22. “’As the new heavens and the new earth that I make will endure before me,’ declares the LORD, ‘so will your name and descendants endure.’”

“The new heavens and the new earth that” (22) God will make “will endure before” (22) God. They will definitely never perish.  They will continue for eternity. Also God’s people that have assembled before God too will definitely never perish. They will continue to live eternally. At the end of the world all things will be burned up. However, “The new heavens and the new earth…will endure” (22) forever. Also the Christians that inherit the “the new heavens and the new earth…will endure” (22) forever.  There we will receive God’s never ending protection and help and will continue to live eternally with God. What we will do there is written in verse 23. “’From one New Moon to another and from one Sabbath to another, all mankind will come and bow down before me,’ says the LORD.”

They will worship God there. “All mankind” (23) will come before the Lord and worship. This is heaven. Christians who believe in their Savior Jesus Christ and have become the people of God will praise God eternally. Revelations 21 talks about what that will be like.

“Then I saw ‘a new heaven and a new earth,’ for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.  I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.  And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them.  They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. 「He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death」or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.’

He who was seated on the throne said, ‘I am making everything new!’ Then he said, ‘Write these words are trustworthy and true.’

He said to me: ‘It is done. I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the spring of the water of life.  Those who are victorious will inherit all this, and I will be their God and they will be my children.’” (Rev. 21:1-7)

God’s people, Christians, are promised victory. “God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them…God himself will be with them…He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”（Rev. 21:3,4） In the new heaven and new earth we will receive living “water without cost from” (Rev. 21:6) God. We will in this heaven worship God for eternity. What comfort!

This is the final ending of history. It is the final goal of history. “All mankind will come” (23) and worship before God. This is the ultimate purpose of God’s salvation. We were created for the purpose of worshiping God. We were created to praise God for eternity. It was for this purpose that sin was atoned for.  Therefore, there is not even one person in heaven that doesn’t want to worship God. There isn’t anyone who doesn’t believe in God. Everyone in heaven is moved by the work of Jesus’ salvation, and is thankful so they worship the Savior from their hearts.

In 1994 when I went to Korea for the first time, I attended worship at Korin        Church, the largest Holiness Church in the world. I was very surprised. In the sanctuary that is said to fit 3,000 we worshipped together with a large choir and orchestra. When the worship started the curtain opened automatically and the hymn that the orchestra was playing began. It was Hymn 27, “New every morning”. It was very impressive. As I was singing my body felt a holy trembling. I couldn’t stop crying. I was over whelmed by the Lord’s presence. It was a time of wanting to be there forever and praise the Lord forever.

Worship in heaven will be greater than that.  That is because the Lord will be there.  A large number of people will praise God. We will be surrounded by what we think is the greatest possible joy and inspiration. To be able to praise God eternally makes everything else of no significance.  That is heaven. There is no world that is as great as this anywhere. “All mankind will come” (23) before the God of heaven and praise God. This is the end that is promised to God’s people, Christians. Are you included in this?

ＩＩＩ．Where will you spend eternity? (Vs. 24)

However, the book of Isaiah does not just end here. It adds verse 24. Although it would have been o.k. to have ended at verse 23, the words of verse 24 are added. I will read verse 24. “And they will go out and look on the dead bodies of those who rebelled against me; the worms that eat them will not die, that fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.”

In reality this is a description of hell. If you look at Mark 9:47 and 48 Jesus is quoting from this. “And if your eye causes you to stumble, pluck it out.  It is better for you to enter the kingdom of God with one eye than to have two eyes and be thrown into hell, ‘the worms that eat them do not die, and the fire is not quenched.’”

That Jesus quoted this means that there is really such a place. When a person dies, what happens?

Last Sunday evening on NHK’s special they broadcasted a program, “Near death experience, a documentary by Takashi Tachibana, When you die, what happens to your soul?”  Takashi Tachibana, a journalistic critic, who reported on near death experience over 20 years ago, has turned 74 years old. He has cancer and heart disease so now he feels death approaching.  Therefore, once again he is contemplating about the field of near death experience from the newest research and is rethinking about “death”. Since the near death experience that certain people on the verge of death see began to receive attention in the 1980s and on there have been mainly two explanations for it. One is the scientific explanation that it is an hallucination that occurs in the brain and the other is that after our physical body dies, our soul continues to exist. There are two scientists that when Takashi Tachibana had previously interviewed them, held strongly to the scientific explanation that it is an hallucination that occurs in the brain. However, now they both have now changed their position to there is definitely a world after death. Takashi Tachibana introduced these two people.

One person is Dr. Eben Alexander、a neurological surgeon who for 25 years rejected the notion of a world after death. However, now he asserts that his out of body and near death experience while in a meningitis-induced coma in 2008 proves that consciousness is independent of the brain, and that death is a transition into eternity.

The other person is Raymond Moody. He is a psychologist, but for many years he studied near death experiences and his written many books. When he was interviewed by Takashi Tachibana on “Takahashi Tachibana reports Near death experiences, What does a person see when he dies” aired on NHK in March of 1991 Raymond Moody rejected the idea of a world after death. However 23 years later in this report he said that during these 23 years he had psychological problems and attempted suicide. During his suicide attempt he had a near death experience himself so he came to believe that there is a world after death.

The program ended with the concept that there is a world after death, but admitting that no one knew where this world is. No one knows what a soul is. We don’t know how our soul or “I” is born and how it disappears. We don’t know what “I” is.

However, the Bible knows all these things. The Bible clearly says that when a person dies, even if his body perishes, his soul lives eternally either in heaven or hell. Those who believe in God’s son Jesus Christ as their Savior that saved them from their sin will live eternally with God in Heaven. Those who don’t will as this verse says, live for eternity in hell where “the worms that eat them will not die, that fire that burns them will not be quenched, and they will be loathsome to all mankind.” (24) Where do you want to spend eternity? You have only two choices, heaven or hell.  There are no other possibilities.  If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be best to believe in Jesus Christ and go to heaven? For that purpose God sent Jesus into this world. God wants you to be saved and to have eternal life.

“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.  For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.” (John 3:16-18)

This is the essence of the Bible and the conclusion of the book of Isaiah. Those who believe in the Son will not be judged. Those who do not believe in the name of God’s only Son so they have already been judged. So that you are not judged please believe in the Son.

“That f you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” (Romans 10:9-10)

Only those who believe Jesus in their hearts and confess it with their mouths will be saved. Those who don’t will not go to heaven.  Such people will go to hell.  So that that doesn’t happen, please repent of your sins and believe in Jesus. If you believe, you can go to heaven and praise God for eternity and you will please God. This is the ultimate goal for us humans who were created by God.  Let’s praise God for eternity in heaven together. Heaven or hell, which will you choose?  The choice is up to you.

From today we enter into the last chapter of Isaiah. This chapter is God’s  answer to Isaiah’s prayer of 66:1-5.　At the same time it is the conclusion to the whole book of Isaiah.

Isaiah saw Jerusalem destroyed by Babylon and fallen into ruins and he prayed, “After all this, O LORD, will you hold yourself back? Will you keep silent and punish us beyond measure?” (64:12) God answered his prayer with surprising words, “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name. I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’” (65:1)

In other words, by this to the Gentiles who until now “did not ask for” (65:1) God, the salvation of God will come.  That is unthinkable. This is only by the leading according to God’s eternal plan.

That’s not all. In 65:17 it says, “Behold, I will create new heavens and a new earth.” God is saying that like when in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth, God will create anew by a completely new order a new heaven and a new earth. “The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.” (65:17) Sadness and crying will disappear. God is saying the He will create such a new heaven and new earth. This is real hope and encouragement. At that time Israel was in a historical crisis of being destroyed by Babylon. Israel was facing a crisis, but God at such a time spoke words of true encouragement and hope.

The last half of the book of Isaiah begins from Isaiah chapter 40. It begins with God speaking, “Comfort. Comfort my people.” (40:1) What the comfort is that a new heaven and earth will come. The old heaven and earth will pass. “The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.” (65:17) “There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.” (Rev. 21:14) Such a world will come. This is the real hope.

Then in this chapter 66 as in chapter 65 God’s judgment and blessing are spoken interchangeably like an interwoven net so God’s plan for God’s people becomes clear.

1. Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool (Vs. 1)

First please look at verse 1. Here it says, “Heaven is my throne,

and the earth is my footstool.

Where is the house you will build for me?

Where will my resting place be?”

This is the last question from the Lord to Israel. It is a challenge. It is “Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be?” (1) “The house you will build for me” (1) is the temple in Jerusalem.  They believed the temple in Jerusalem was where God was really at and it was filled with God’s Spirit. But here God is saying, “Where is the house you will build for me? Where will my resting place be?” (1) There is no such house anywhere. That’s because “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.” (1) You can’t put the creator of the heavens and the earth in such a tiny temple.

On the day the King Solomon dedicated the temple of Israel he prayed in I Kings 8:27, “But will God really dwell on earth? The heavens, even the highest heaven, cannot contain you.  How much less this temple I have built!” There is nothing that the creator that created the heaven and earth can fit into. He is saying that no matter how splendid a temple is built, “even the highest heaven, cannot contain” (I Kings 8:27) God.

The reason God is saying this is because at that time among the Israelites there were some people that had the wrong thinking that if they performed the religious rites revolving around the temple, then they would be recognized by God. It can be seen that it held such an important position in the fact that after the Israelites returned from captivity in Babylon the first thing that they did was rebuild the temple. The Jerusalem temple was the central thing in the Jewish faith. To do religious duties was the most important thing. Therefore, it is understandable that they thought that if they did such things, then they would be recognized by God. This is similar to present day Christians that have the misunderstanding that if they attend Sunday worship, they are saved or mistakenly think that if they tithe, and serve in the church they will be recognized by God. Such religious acts are not bad. Rather such acts are natural for Christians.  However, if you think you do such acts, then you are holy, that is wrong. Such things can’t make you holy.

Our God does not live in such a temple. God who said, “Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool” (1) does not rest in a house built by human hands. Such things are nothing more just a model of heavenly things. The real thing is not the temple building, but the throne of God in heaven. Therefore, let’s not be deluded by such outward things. We need to understand what things please God and seek those things.

1. The ones I look on with favor (Vs. 2)

Then what does God desire? Please look at verse 2. “’Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?’ declares the LORD. ‘These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.’” (2)

“All these things” (2) are everything that God has created. “Has not my hand made all these things, and so they came into being?” (2) so “all these things” (2) belong to God.

Therefore, if we give a lot of things to God that doesn’t necessarily mean that God will be pleased. If we build a splendid temple for God it doesn’t necessarily mean that God will live there. God’s “hand made all these things” (2) and all things belong to God. God who is the source of all things doesn’t desire such things, but desires our hearts, ourselves.  Here, in verse 2, it tells us what kind of person God desires.

“These are the ones I look on with favor:

those who are humble and contrite in spirit,

and who tremble at my word.” (2)

Those whom God looks “on with favor” (2) are “those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at” (2) God’s Word. “Humble and contrite in spirit” (2) is not just being humble. It is to be truly contrite for sin, penitent for it, and in pain to get it pardoned. This is what it means to be “humble and contrite in spirit” (2) Because if you listen to God’s Word with such a humble heart, you really tremble at His word.

When the prophet, Nathan, pointed out to David his sin of adultery with Bathsheba, David humbled himself before God and repented. In Psalm 51 his song of repentance is recorded. He prayed, “Have mercy on me, O God,

according to your unfailing love;

according to your great compassion

blot out my transgressions.

Wash away all my iniquity

and cleanse me from my sin.

For I know my transgressions,

and my sin is always before me.

Against you, you only, have I sinned

and done what is evil in your sight;

so you are right in our verdict

and justified when you judge.

Surely I was sinful at birth,

sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb;

you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;

wash me and I will be whiter than snow.

Let me hear joy and gladness;

let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

Hide you face from my sins

and blot out all my iniquity,

Create in me a pure heart, O God,

and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

Do not cast me from your presence

or take the Holy Spirit from me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation

and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;

you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;

a broken and contrite heart

you, God, will not despise.”

(Psalms51:1-12, 16,17)

David held on to the grace of God. This is the appearance of “those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble” (2) at God’s word.

“Tremble” (2) means not just to tremble at something fearful; but is trembling in awe of something great. When we listen to the word as the Word of God, it is natural for such a fear or trembling to be born.

God looks with favor on “those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at ” (2) His word. They can’t live without the Word of God. They think that they need the Word of God. They have to have the Word of God in order to live.                                    The Word of God only is their living support. They think that God’s Word is the one and only hope. God will definitely not scorn such people.

1. Those who have chosen their own way (Vs. 3-5)

The third point is the opposite, about those that don’t listen to God’s Word and chose their own way. Please look at verses 3 to 5.  First I will read verse 3. “But whoever sacrifices a bull is like one who kills a person, and whoever offers a lamb is like one who breaks a dog’s neck; whoever makes a grain offering is like one who presents pig’s blood, and whoever burns memorial incense is like one who worships an idol. They have chosen their own ways, and they delight in their abominations.”

These words are criticizing those that have pride in their religious piety and who emphasize the form only, and surficial things and forget spiritual worship and the importance of a proper spiritual walk.  No matter how many sacrifices like the Old Testament commands such people make it is nothing more than idol worship. That is because “they have chosen their own ways, and they delight in their abominations.” (3) What they think is more important than what God desires. They insistently follow their own thinking and make sacrifices. They don’t seek to follow the Word of God, but put themselves first. Therefore, no matter how much they dress themselves with                  piety on the surface, in reality it is idol worship.

This is something that we must be careful about.  If we do not humble ourselves and aren’t contrite and don’t follow God’s Word, and insistently follow our own thinking and make our own way by our own thinking, then no matter how zealously we assemble at Christian gatherings, no matter how hard we serve in the church, no matter how much money we give as offerings, God will never be delighted.  If we think that if we build a huge church building, then the Lord will be delighted, then that is a big mistake.  It is no different from “one who kills a person…breaks a dog’s neck…presents pig’s blood… worships an idol.” (3) That is hypocrisy. That is what God hates the most. Jesus strongly warned the hypocrites. He called them “white washed tombs”. (Matt. 23:27) Even if the outside of the tomb looks beautiful, the inside is full with dead people’s bones and all kinds of filth. Likewise, even though their outsides looked like they were right to other people, their insides were full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

Of course, this does not mean that they didn’t need the temple.  It isn’t saying that the place that we worship the Lord in isn’t important at all. It isn’t saying that we don’t need Sunday worship or we don’t need to give offerings. Such things are important. If they are born as a result of faith, then they are wonderful. When it becomes the goal and following God is slighted, then not only does it have completely no meaning, but you will become the hypocrite that God hates.

Saul who was the first king of Israel didn’t follow God’s Word that was spoken through the prophet Samuel.  Samuel was told, “Go attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them.  Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys” (I Samuel 15:3) One day Samuel went to King Saul’s. He heard the bleating of sheep and the lowing of cattle. When Samuel asked Saul, “What then is the bleating of sheep in my ears? What is the lowing of cattle that I hear?” (I Samuel 15:14) Saul answered like this. “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.” (I Samuel 15:15)

At a single glance it sounds like its logical, but that was a complete misunderstanding. Saul intended to follow the Lord’s voice but in reality he was following his own thinking.

This is in reality often in us too. While saying that we are following God in reality we act according to what’s good for us. However, that is not what pleases God. Hence, God deprives such people of their throne. Samuel said this to Saul, “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” (I Samuel 15:22)

“To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.” (I Samuel 15:22) “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the voice of the LORD?” (I Samuel 15:22) No matter how many sacrifices you make, it is not superior to obeying God. The important thing is not to make conclusions by your own thinking and judgment, not by what is right or wrong, but by following God’s word. Only just be humble and contrite in spirit, and … tremble at ” (2) God’s Word and obey God’s Word.  If not, even if it seems that you are performing God’s commission, in reality your faith is based upon your own thinking.

Verse 5 says, “Hear the word of the LORD,

you who tremble at his word:

Your brothers who hate you,

and exclude you because of my name, have said,

‘Let the LORD be glorified,

that we may see your joy!’

Yet they will be put to shame.”

Here it is talking about what happens when you become just religiously enthusiastic. Such people insult, ridicule, and persecute the real believers. “Your brothers who hate you, and exclude you because of my name, have said, ‘Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy!’” (5) This means that the Jews will exclude their “brothers,” (5) Jews, who earnestly listen to the Lord’s Word. They will ridicule these Jews saying, “Let the LORD be glorified, that we may see your joy!”

The Jews who “Hear the word of the LORD… who tremble at his word” will  joyfully look forward to the Lord’s glory which the last days will bring. However, the hypocrites will not be like that. They will see such things and insult, ridicule, and persecute. However, in the end such hypocrites “will be put to shame.” (5)

What God desires of you is that you “hear the word of the LORD,” (5) and “tremble at his word”. (5) We mustn’t not listen to God’s Word and just zealously perform religious activity, but “be humble and contrite in spirit, and … tremble at ” (2) God’s Word and obey God’s Word. How about you, are you trembling at God’s Word?

In our life there are two roads. One road is the road of being humble and contrite in spirit, ” (2) and trembling at God’s Word. The other road is your own selfish road. You can’t walk on both of these two roads at the same time. You have to choose one of these two roads.  However, depending on which of the two roads you choose, it will for that person bring exactly opposite results. The person that is “humble and contrite in spirit, and … trembles at ” (2) God’s Word, God will settle his eyes on him. In other words, God’s blessings will come. That person will inherit the new heaven and the new earth. However, fear will come to those who walk on the other road, the road of selfishness. The place that these people will arrive at is eternal doom. For them they themselves are god. More than listening and obeying God’s Word, they put their own thinking first. Their hearts are full of idol worship, they enjoy filling their own desires, and they walk in the way that they think is right for them so as a result they invite doom upon themselves.  Which road will you choose?

Jesus said this, “Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it.  But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matt. 7:13,14)

We always have the temptation to walk on our own selfish road.  That road is “broad… and many enter through it.” (Matt. 7:13) Everyone is doing the same things so it seems like it is safer and more enjoyable. However, it “leads to destruction.” (Matt. 7:13) “But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” (Matt. 7:14) However, that road is really the road that leads us to eternal life, the road that brings to eternal glory. ‘These are the ones I look on with favor: those who are humble and contrite in spirit, and who tremble at my word.” (2)

What God desires of us is only that we be “humble and contrite in spirit,” (2) and listen and obey God’s Word. Let’s be such a person. In the course of time God’s glory will come to such a person

Today from the latter half of Isaiah chapter 65 I would like to talk about the new heaven and earth.  The Lord answered Isaiah’s prayer, “After all this, O LORD, will you hold yourself back? Will you keep silent and punish us beyond measure?” (64:12) with surprising words, “I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me;

I was found by those who did not seek me.

To a nation that did not call on my name.

I said, ‘Here am I, here am I.’” (1) In other words, this was so that by Israel rejecting God, salvation will come to the Gentiles. This was not so they would stumble and fall. Then by the Gentiles being saved, Israel will become jealous and from among the Israelites a few people will be saved.  This is the remnant of Israel. By this, all of Israel will be saved. “Oh the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out!” (Roman 11:33) God’s plan of salvation is really amazing!

However, that is not all.  In today’s passage it speaks about God’s plan of salvation being fulfilled by the form of a new heaven and a new earth. It isn’t just being freed from earthly suffering, being freed from Babylon, but beyond that it is the real solution that is brought by the creation of a new heaven and a new earth. In reality God’s people being restored from Babylon is a pattern that God’s people who have been redeemed of their sin will live in a new heaven and earth.

1. The creation of a new people of God (Vs. 13-16)

First of all please look at verses 13 to 16. Verse 13 to 14 say, “My servants will eat, but you will go hungry; my servants will drink, but you will go thirsty; my servants will rejoice, but you will be put to shame.  My servants will sing out of the joy of their hearts, but you will cry out from anguish of heart and wail in brokenness of spirit.”

“My servants” (13) are those people who have had their sin redeemed by God. They are the people that responded to God’s call and received and accepted God’s salvation. These are not the Jews that were living in Jerusalem. They rebelled against God so it caused God to rage up in anger. The retribution for such people is as verse 12 says is God’s judgment.  They will be slaughtered and fall. However in the midst of this those who receive God’s salvation will be called “my servants” (13). They are the remnant.  They will receive blessings. They “will eat…drink…rejoice…sing out of the joy of their hearts”. (13, 14) They are “his servants he will give another name”. (15) The name that they will be given is “Christian”. They will be called Christians. Please open your Bibles to Acts 11:25 and 26. “Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch.  So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people.  The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.”

It was at this time that those who believed in Jesus were first called Christians. “The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” (Acts 11:26)　Until then they were called “the way”. This came from the teaching of Jesus that he is “the way”, “the truth”, and “the life”. Among themselves Christians called each other “brothers and sisters”, but ordinarily they were called “the way”. After they came to Antioch they came to be called “Christians”. That’s because they were always talking about Christ. They brought every conversation to the topic of Christ. Everything they said and listened to was about Christ.

This was a nick name.  It was a nick name meaning “Crazy for Christ” or “Stupid for Christ”. They talked about Christ everywhere so they began to be called “Crazy for Christ”, “Christian”. In other words, in everyone’s eyes they had a visible lifestyle. That is a Christian.

How about us? There are some people who are visibly Christian from the beginning, but in most cases we don’t　actively make it clear by ourselves. We hate for other people to be surprised that we a Christian.  However, a Christian is “Crazy for Christ”. They live for Christ. They talk about Christ all the time. They can’t be silent.  If you know the wonderful salvation of God, if you know the amazing grace, then then you can’t be silent.

In the NHK drama, the strategic Kanbe too believed in Jesus Christ and became a Christian. On his chest was always a cross necklace.  Of course, the Christian Daimyo Ukon Takayama was also so.  When they became a Christian they had a completely different way of living than before.  In everyone’s eyes, he had a lifestyle that everyone would know that he was a Christian. How about you?

Among Christians there are some that even though they don’t say anything people think they must be Christians because in their daily life they always reflect what Jesus would say or do.  This is splendid. Whether you say you are a Christian or not, if through your life you witness to Christ, how splendid. However, there are a lot of splendid non-Christians. Rather, unless you put into words how wonderful God is who saved you, people won’t understand. May we too be called a Christian, crazy for Christ.

Please look at verse 16. “Whoever invokes a blessing in the land

will do so by the one true God;

whoever takes an oath in the land

will swear by the one true God.

For the past troubles will be forgotten

and hidden from my eyes.”

Here “the one true God” (16) is being stressed. “The one true God” in Hebrew is “the Amen God”. “The Amen God”, “The one true God”, (16) is written about in Rev. 3:14. “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write; These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.” The words of Jesus Christ are being sent “To the angel of the church in Laodicea.” (Rev. 3:14) It is clear if you look at Rev. 1:17 and 18. “I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.” That is Jesus Christ. This Jesus Christ is “the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation.” (Rev. 3:14) Jesus Christ is “the one true God” (16), “the Amen God”.

If you look at I John 5:20, this can be seen here too. “We know also that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, so that we may know him who is true.  And we are in him who is true by being in his Son Jesus Christ.  He is the true God and eternal life.”

“He is the true God and eternal life.” (I John 5:20) Christians are blessed by Jesus Christ, “the one true God”. (16) By Jesus Christ former struggles are dismissed from our minds. Before we knew Christ we were full of baggage: sin, concerns, struggles, hurts, pains, sadness, etc. However, when we believed in Christ, “the former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.” (17) By the blood of Christ we are washed clean. We don’t have to be tortured by past guilt and feelings of wrongdoing. We don’t have to feel defeated forever. Christ redeemed you of your sin. You by Christ have been created anew as God’s servant, a Christian. “If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (II Cor. 5:17)

“If anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” (II Cor. 5:17) That is a new creation. It is a new creation in Christ. “The former things will not be remembered, nor will they come to mind.” (17) “The new is here!” (II Cor. 5:17) That’s a wonderful promise, isn’t it? We often think that it would be nice if we had a reset button to redo our lives. We think how nice it would be if we could erase and rid ourselves of all our past sins, dirt, struggles, and hurts and redo our lives on a clean slate. God through Jesus Christ opened a way for you to start a new and redo your life. If you are in Christ daily you can walk anew. God can change your insides into a new creation.

1. A new heaven and a new earth (Vs. 17)

The second point is that the work of God’s new creation is the creation of a new heaven and a new earth.  Please look at verse 17. “Behold, I will create

new heavens and a new earth.

The former things will not be

remembered,

nor will they come to mind.”

Here God is through Isaiah promising “new heavens and a new earth.” (17) In contrast to the “new earth”, now the universe that we are living in that is earth centered is the “old earth”. We don’t know exactly how many years ago, but as it says in Genesis 1:1, “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth,” it was created by God. This old heaven and earth will be gone and a completely new heaven and earth will be created.

This word, “create” (17) is used for creating something completely out of nothing and expresses a creation out of nothing. A different word is used for creating things out of materials. To make things out of material even man can do. However, to make something completely new out of nothing only God can do. God is saying that he is going to “create new heavens and a new earth” (17) that is completely different from this heaven and earth.

We tend to think that the heaven and earth that we are living in now will continue forever, but that is not so.  This earth will be destroyed by the filth of sin, and a time will come when it will be exchanged for a completely new heaven and earth. It is a little long, but let’s look at II Peter 3:7-13.

“By the same word the present heavens and earth are reserved for fire, being kept for the day of judgment and destruction of ungodly men. But do not forget this one thing, dear friends; With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.  The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come like a thief. The heavens will disappear with a roar; the elements will be destroyed by fire, and the earth and everything in it will be laid bare. Since everything will be destroyed in this way, what kind of people ought you to be! You ought to live holy and godly lives as you forward to the day of God and speed its coming. That day will bring about the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.  But in keeping with his promise we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness.”

Here it says, “the destruction of the heavens by fire, and the elements will melt in the heat.” (II Peter 3:12) All substances down to the atom will all melt away. The heavens will be completely destroyed. All traces of it will disappear. However, for the children of God that believed in God and were saved “a new heaven and a new earth, the home of righteousness” (II Peter 3:13) is prepared for them. This is heaven.

Verse 17 said, “The former things will not be remembered,

nor will they come to mind.”

That is because the former things have passed away. There God “will live with them…He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.” (Rev. 21:14) All the various mourning, crying, pain and troubles that we have experienced on this earth “will not be remembered nor will they come to mind.” (17) That is because the former things have passed away. Everything will be completely different from what we have experienced up until now. A world of a different dimension will come. This is for Christians a really huge encouragement!

For those who have repented and believed in Jesus Christ, living in this world may in some ways be difficult. We are thankful that we can walk knowing that God is with us, but on the other hand, it is a reality that the more we believe we run into troubles, trying times, and things that we can’t accept. Persecution, others disapprove of us, and many pressures occur. However, God does not leave Christians in the same situation forever. In the course of time, we can live in a new heaven and a new earth. Therefore, let’s put our hope here and live a life that is tied to that hope. If our lives end only with the negative thoughts of our troubles, then it is really sad. No matter what surrounds us, no matter what happens, let’s walk confessing that in the course of time, in the end we have the hope. This is what God wanted to tell Israel, rather us mankind, through Isaiah.

Recently we were able to send Mrs. Fukuda to heaven. Also there are many other people who are struggling with sickness.  When I go to such people and pray and sing, I think in the end this is all there is: even if you die, living life, eternal life, is really our ultimate hope.

1. The new blessings of creation (Vs. 18-25)

Lastly, let’s look at verses 18 to the end of the chapter. Verse 18 says, “But be glad and rejoice forever in what I will create, for I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy.”

Here it says, “I will create Jerusalem to be a delight and its people a joy.” (18) “Jerusalem” (18) is the holy city of the “new heavens and a new earth” (17) that I previously spoke about. This is the Jerusalem of heaven. Rev. 21:2 says, “I see the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride beautifully dressed for her husband.” “Jerusalem” (18) is this “Holy City, the new Jerusalem.” (Rev. 21:2) There “the sound of weeping and of crying will be heard in it no more.” (19) “Never again will there be in it an infant who lives but a few days, or an old man who does not live out his years; he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.” (20) “They will build houses and dwell in them; they will plant vineyards and eat their fruit.” (21) “No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat.” (22) In this world there are cases of no matter how much you sweat working, you are exploited. However, in the New Jerusalem this will not be.  If you work, then you will receive payment for the amount you work. “No longer will they build houses and others live in them, or plant and others eat.” (22)

Verse 24 says, “Before they call I will answer;

while they are still speaking I will hear.”  This is wonderful. While we are saying, “Jesus”, the answer, “What?” will come.  The Lord who knows all about us is always next to us and quickly answers us.  Until then we had sin so the Lord’s answer was sometimes slow in coming. “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) That sin will all be removed and you will enter into intimate fellowship with God so when you call out “God” he will answer immediately.

Then in verse 25, “’the wolf and the lamb will feed together,

and the lion will eat straw like the ox,

but dust will be the serpent’s food.

They will neither harm nor destroy

on all my holy mountain,’

says the LORD.”

There will be no meat eaters. They “will feed together” (25) eating grass and straw. Such a peaceful world will come.

In the New Jerusalem there is supposed to “be no more death or mourning or crying or pain.” (Rev. 21:14) Even so if you look at verse 20 it says, “he who dies at a hundred will be thought a mere youth; he who fails to reach a hundred will be considered accursed.” To live a long life and “no more death” (Rev. 21:14) are two different things.

In reality the contents of up until verse 19 and the contents after verse 20 are the same prophecy of the end times, but they are describing different ages. The contents up until verse 19 are scenes of the new heaven and new earth that will come after the heavens and earth perish. From verse 20 on is a prophecy of the Millennium which will occur before that. Isaiah is looking at two scenes of the Millennium and the new heaven and earth that will come after that without distinguishing between the two.  That is just like when we are looking at two things in the distance. For example, if we look at Osaka and Hiroshima from here, in reality they are quite a ways apart, but they look like they are in the same spot. When Isaiah saw the vision for the end of the world, it reality there was actually a huge time difference between the Millennium and the New Jerusalem, but he saw them as being in the same age at the end of the world.

In the New Testament, it is described a little more clearly. When Christ returns again those in Christ “will be caught up…in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air.” (I Thess. 4:17) After that with Christ we will rule with Christ for a peaceful 1000 years. Then we will enter into the new heaven and new earth and God’s Holy Jerusalem. “And so we will be with the Lord forever.” (I Thess. 4:17) This is our hope.

This is definitely not nonsense. That is because it is based on the reality of the Lord Jesus Christ’s cross and resurrection. Before Christ was crucified, he said to his disciples, “Do not let your hearts be troubled.  Trust in God, trust also in me.  In my Father’s house are many rooms; if it were not so, I would have told you.  I am going there to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.” (John 14:1-3)

This place is really heaven. Jesus ascended into heaven to prepare that place. When the place is prepared, he will come back to get us. That day is close.

Therefore, we let’s realize the hope that is promised to us and even if our actual life has hardships and struggles and we think we can’t bear it any longer, even so let’s put our hope here and while holding on to God, let’s walk with praise and thanksgiving. In the course of time you will enter a new heaven and a new earth. You will forget former troubles, and God will wipe every tear from your eyes. You will receive encouragement from God.  Let’s depend upon God’s promises.

The passage that we just read was written when Jerusalem was destroyed by Babylon and it is a prophecy of recovery that the Savior will once more rebuild Jerusalem. It is at the same time a promise of recovery for us Christians.  When a situation is bad, we tend to immediately become depressed and keep silent. We think that it’s useless to do anything, or that no matter what we do it won’t go well, or that it’s impossible in the age that we are living in, etc. Therefore, we become silent. However, no matter what the situation is, no matter what the age is like, we must not keep silent. We must always, at all times preach the Word of God.

1. God who doesn’t keep silent  (Vs. 1-5)

First of all please look at verses 1 to 5. I will read verse 1. “For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent, for Jerusalem’s sake I will not remain quiet, till her vindication shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch.”

Here is says, “For Zion’s sake I will not keep silent.” (1) “I” (1) is the Messiah. This is Jesus Christ’s appearance before he was born as a man. He also appears in 61:1.  I for Zion’s sake “will not keep silent.” (1) “Zion” (1) is Jerusalem. Therefore, Christ is saying that for Zion’s sake he “will not keep silent.” (1)  “Till her vindication shines out like the dawn, her salvation like a blazing torch” (1) Christ will work for the sake of Jerusalem.

Please look at Hebrews 7:24 and 25. Here it says, “but because Jesus lives forever, he has a permanent priesthood. Therefore he is able to save completely those who come to God through him, because he always lives to intercede for them.” (Hebrews 7:24, 25) “Jesus lives forever…to intercede for them.” (Hebrews 7:24, 25)

For your sake Christ “will not keep silent.” (1) Until your “vindication shines out like the dawn,”（１）and your “salvation like a blazing torch” (1) Christ will work for your sake. What encouragement! Humans aren’t like that. If you look at Isaiah 59:16 you will see that humans can’t intercede. “He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene.” (Isaiah 59:16) They always think only of themselves. As long as it’s good for themselves, its o.k. Even if they pray for themselves, they can’t pray for others. “He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene.” (59:16) However, Christ is different. “Jesus lives forever…to intercede for” (Hebrews 7:24, 25) us.

How Christ intercedes is written in verses 2 to 5.  “The nations will see your vindication, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow.  You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD’s hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate, But you will be called Hephzibah, and your land Beulah; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married. As a young man marries a young woman, so will your Builder marry you; as bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.”

The “your” in “The nations will see your vindication” (2) is Jerusalem and is also us Christians.  At that time, in other words, at the time of Jerusalem’s restoration, all the people in the world will see God(s mighty acts performed upon us and will rejoice in God. Then “you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow.” (2)  “A new name” (2) is a new nature. Jerusalem’s name will be changed to a new name. Jerusalem’s new name will be “Hephzibah” (4) which means “my delight is in her”.  Now is different.  Up until now “they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate.” (4) That name will be changed to “Hephzibah,” (4) “my delight is in her”.

“Hephzibah” (4) appears in II Kings 21:1. It was the name used by the wife of the King of Judah, Hezekiah.  She was for Hezekiah, his delight. How happy a wife is to be called like this. If you are told by your husband, “my delight is in you”, then you probably would be so happy that you’d be on cloud 9. In reverse if you are told that you bring me sadness, you would probably  want to die. Until now they were called “Deserted” (4) or “Desolate” (4) but they no longer will be called that. They “will be called Hephzibah,” (4) “my delight is in her.”

That’s not all. “Your land” (4) will be called “Beulah” (4) which means “married”.  You will be married to Jesus Christ. We have met Christ and have become Christ’s bride.  No matter what situation we are in, we are Christ’s bride. Also our husband, Christ, looks at us and says, “my delight is in you”. How glorious this is!  We don’t deserve to be told this. We betray the Lord over and over again, and make the same mistakes over and over again. We can’t look into the face of the groom Christ. To such a wife, the Lord says, “my delight is in you”. “As a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you.” (5)

There is no other god who will delight over you. Only the God of the Bible, only Jesus Christ will “rejoice over you.” (5) That is because Christ gave his life for you. He redeemed you with his life. Therefore, no matter how many times you repeat the same mistakes, if you believe God from your heart, then God will love you.

Please open your Bibles to Zephaniah 3:17. “The LORD your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who save. He will take great delight in you, in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.”

This is a wonderful promise! In Jesus’ eyes he sees us like this. “He will take great delight in you, in his love he will no longer rebuke you, but will rejoice over you with singing.” (Zephaniah 3:17) The Lord isn’t angry with you. Neither does he hate you. He takes “delight in you.” (Zephaniah 3:17) You believed in Jesus and became the child of God so the Lord is within you. You may be finding it difficult to do the will of God. You may be making the same mistakes over and over again. Even so God “will take great delight in you.” (Zephaniah 3:17)

Therefore, we must not look away from God. We must never separate ourselves from Jesus. We must not become depressed thinking that we are a terrible person and refuse to come to the Lord. We must open our hearts to the Lord who made us his, extremely loves us, and who delights in us. Like an intimate couple we need to come before the Lord as we are and share everything.

1. Do not be silent (Vs. 6-9)

The second point is that if the Lord delights in us then we must not be silent. Please look at verses 6 to 9. “I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem;

they will never be silent day or night.

You who call on the LORD,

give yourself no rest,

and give him no rest till he establishes Jerusalem

and makes her the praise of the earth.

The LORD has sworn by his right hand

and by his mighty arm:

‘Never again will I give your grain

as food for your enemies

and never again will foreigners drink the new wine

for which you have toiled;

but those who harvest it will eat it

and praise the LORD,

and those who gather the grapes will drink it

in the courts of my sanctuary.’”

Here it says, “I have posted watchmen on your walls, Jerusalem.” (6) “The watchmen” (6) were “watchmen on the walls” (6) that were watching to see if there were any enemies coming or not.  In Isaiah’s age this was Isaiah and the other prophets. In other words, it could be said to be the people that gave warnings to the Israelites.  They were warnings that God’s judgment was near. They couldn’t “be silent day or night.” (6) Till God “establishes Jerusalem and makes her the praise of the earth,” (6) they couldn’t be silent.

We, Christians, are the same. God has sent us as watchmen into this world. At all times until this hope is fulfilled we must be watchmen in the world. We must not be silent. We have been put here to warn that the end of the world is near and also to encourage others to repent and believe in God.

Mark 13:33-37 says, “Be on guard! Be alert! You do not know when that time will come.  It’s like a man going away: He leaves his house and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch. Therefore keep watch because you do not know when the owner of the house will come back-whether in the evening, or at midnight, or when the rooster crows, or at dawn.  If he comes suddenly, do not let him find you sleeping.  What I say to you, I say to everyone; ‘Watch!’”

“That time” is the time of the end of the world.  In other words, when Jesus comes again. That time is just like when the master of the house leaves on a trip “and puts his servants in charge, each with their assigned task, and tells the one at the door to keep watch.” (Mark 13:34) They don’t know when the mater of the house will return. However, so that whenever he comes back, it’ll be o.k., you have to stay awake. The doorkeeper must be on the watch out. Like this when the master returns the servant that he sees awake will be blessed.

About this Paul said, “Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season; correct, rebuke and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction.  For the time will come when people will not put up with sound doctrine.  Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.  But you, keep your head in all situations, endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.”

“Preach the word; be prepared in season and out of season.” (II Timothy 4:2) This is the Word of God that I received when I was called to be an evangelist. When I received this Word of God, I was shown strongly that as an evangelist I have to “preach　the word…in season and out of season.” (II Timothy 4:2)

Now is it in season or is it out of season? There are times of in season and times of out of season. It may be more of out of season. That’s because this age is like Paul says here “people will not put up with sound doctrine.  Instead, to suit their own desires, they will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear.  They will turn their ears away from the truth and turn aside to myths.” (II Timothy 4:3, 4) Paul prophesized that such and age would come. However, even at such a time, we must “preach the word”. (II Timothy 4:2)  We must “endure hardship, do the work of an evangelist, discharge all the duties of your ministry.” (II Timothy 4:5) We shouldn’t be pessimistic thinking that no one believes and so it’s of no use, but we must “preach　the word…in season and out of season.” (II Timothy 4:2) That’s what God desires of us. We must “correct, rebuke and encourage-with great patience and careful instruction.” (II Timothy 4:2) If so the Lord will work. “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (55:9) If we follow God’s command “preach the word”, (II Timothy 4:2) then God will do mighty works. What God asks of us is to accomplish the commission as a “watchman”. (6)  As a “watchman” (6) we must give God’s warnings. We must not be silent.  God says, “I have many people in this city.” (Acts 18:10) We must believe the Word of God who said this and “preach the word”. (II Timothy 4:2)

Please open your Bibles to II Cor. 5:17-21. “Therefore, is anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!  All this is from God who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation; that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them.  And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.  We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us.  We implore you on Christ’s behalf; Be reconciled to God.  God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

“God… reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation.” (II Cor. 5:18) “We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors.” (II Cor. 5:20) We as Christ’s ambassador, “on Christ’s behalf” (II Cor. 4: 20) must “preach the word” (II Timothy 4:2) saying, “Be reconciled to God.” (II Cor. 4:20) “Believe in Christ and be reconciled to God. If so all your sins will be forgiven.” We have to say like this.  We must not be silent.  That’s because for your sake God “will not remain quiet.” (1) Christ is making intercession for you now. If that is so, we too like Christ we must make intercession on other people’s behalf. We must pray for Jerusalem.

Near the end of verse 9 it says, “those who gather the grapes will drink it.” This is a prophecy that at the end of the world Jerusalem will be restored.  However, this isn’t just only material recovery.  This is spiritual recovery.  Those who believe in Christ will in the course of time be given the glory of drinking wine in God’s Holiest of Hollies. We must preach this.

1. Your Savior comes!

Lastly let’s look at verses 10 to 12. “Pass through, pass through the gates!

Prepare the way for the people.

Build up! Build up the highway!

Remove the stones.

Raise a banner for the nations.

The LORD has made proclamation

to the ends of the earth:

Say to Daughter Zion,

‘See, your Savior comes!

See, his reward is with him,

and his recompense accompanies him.’

They will be called the Holy People,

the Redeemed of the LORD;

and you will be called Sought After

the City No Longer Deserted.

Verse 11 says, “The LORD has made proclamation to the ends of the earth.” It is not just to the Jews. It will be proclaimed so that all the people living on the earth can hear it.

“See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.” (11)

These words are quoted at the end of Revelations. In Revelations 22:12 it says, “Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.” At the end of the world Jesus Christ will come as the Lord of judgment.  At that time the Lord “will give to everyone according to what he has done.” (Rev. 22:12) This is not a reward for what we have done in the past, but is a reward for our labor of faith.

Please look at verse 12. Here again it says that they will be called by a new name. “They will be called the Holy People,

the Redeemed of the LORD;

and you will be called Sought After,

the City No Longer Deserted.” (12)

Until then they were not like that. They were called “Deserted” (4) and “Desolate”. (4) However, in the course of time, when Jesus Christ comes, you “will be called the Holy People, the Redeemed of the LORD; and you will be called Sought After,

the City No Longer Deserted.” (12) That is because you were redeemed by Jesus Christ.  This is only by Jesus Christ that you have become God’s. It is not because you have some advantages. It’s not because you have something wonderful. It is not because you have done something special.  In Japan people who do some kind of meritorious service are awarded a National honor award. For example a person who got successive gold medals at the Olympics or someone that broke a world record of the number of homeruns or someone who was awarded the Nobel prize, such people are awarded the National Honor Award. However, Heaven honor awards are not received because you have done something special. God delights in you.  You are precious to God. It is the grace of God from His side.  The day will come when you will receive it.  You will receive it from your Savior. “See, your Savior comes!” (11)

If that’s the case, even if now you have many problems in front of your eyes, even if at the present time you have tears all of the time, as a result of this certain hope, we can with patience overcome it.  You are redeemed.  You will receive God’s salvation.  It will be accomplished soon.  Let’s remember this and wait expectantly for the Lord’s salvation.

We have been put here to preach this wonderful salvation.    We must preach this wonderful news of joy. We must not be silent. Like Jesus called so that the ends of the earth could hear, Let’s proclaim this word of salvation in a huge voice, “See, your Savior comes! See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him.” (11)

Last week I gave a message entitled ““Ａｒｉｓｅ，　Ｓｈｉｎｅ”from Isaiah chapter 60. “For your light has come, and the glory of the LORD rises upon you.” (1) Zion who had repented of her sin and had received the Lord’s redemption became brightly shinning as a light to the nations.

This chapter 61 is this continuation, but it is more than a continuation. It is about how the redeemed will receive enormous blessings. Their sadness that they have had up until now will be changed to joy and their mourning to praise. Therefore, no matter what situation we are in we can rejoice in the Lord.

1. From sadness to joy (Vs. 1-3)

First let’s look at verses 1 to 3. “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me,

because the LORD has anointed me

to proclaim good news to the poor.

He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,

to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners,

to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor

and the day of vengeance of our God,

to comfort all who mourn,

and provide for those who grieve in Zion-

to bestow on them a crown of beauty

instead of ashes,

the oil of joy

instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise

instead of a spirit of despair.

They will be oaks of righteousness,

a planting of the LORD

for the display of his splendor.”

Here it says, “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me.” (1) This “me” (1) is “the Lord’s servant” who in Isaiah has been shown continually. He was chosen to execute God’s commission. However, here “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on” (1) him “because the LORD has anointed” (1) him “to proclaim good news to the poor,” (1) and “to bind up the brokenhearted.”(1) He will free the captives, and release the prisoners. He will “proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God.” (2) He will “comfort all who mourn.” (2) If you read this far, I think you realized this is talking about the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ who will be sent by God in the course of time. The word, “anointed” (1) is in Hebrew Messiah, which is the Savior.  In other words, this is a prophesizing about the Savior, Jesus, who will save mankind from sin.

Please open your Bibles to Luke 4:18, 19. Jesus quotes this passage here.  This is a record of Jesus’ first sermon. On the Sabbath he went to Nazareth where he was brought up at and went into the Synagogue there, and read the Bible. He was handed the book of Isaiah so Jesus opened the book and read it.  He read Isaiah 61:1, 2. “The Spirit of the Sovereign LORD is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners, and recovery of sight for the blind,　to set the oppressed free,　to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor.” (Luke 4:18-19)

After reading the passage, Jesus handed the scroll to the attendant. The people who were there fastened their eyes on Jesus. Then Jesus turned to the people and said in verse 21, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

Then the people praised Jesus and were amazed at the words of grace that came from his mouth. Jesus proclaimed that he was the Savior that Isaiah had prophesized about. “Christ” in Greek means “the anointed one” In other words, Jesus Christ means “the anointed Jesus”. Jesus is really the anointed Savior. God sent Jesus as Messiah to this world.

However, if you look at this passage Jesus quoted Isaiah 61 verse 1 to the middle of verse 2. He finished with “to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor.” (Luke 4:19) The passage continues, but he finished with “to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor.” (Luke 4:19) That is because until there is the purpose of the Savior, Jesus’, first coming. That latter part will be fulfilled at Christ’s second coming. At that time Christ will come as the Lord of judgment, but before that he will come as the Savior. It is that prophecy. As the prophecy says, Christ came about 2000 years from now as Savior to this world. He proclaimed good news, the Gospel, to the poor. He healed the brokenhearted. He came to proclaim freedom for those captive to sin and to release those who were prisoners to darkness.

Certainly good news was proclaimed to the poor. Jesus said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit for the kingdom of shall be theirs.”  People with a thirsty spirit are really blessed. That is because such a person seeks God and believes God’s Word. All men build values and thinking based upon their experience. That becomes their rule for living.  Whatever matches it, they accept, but what doesn’t match it they refuse. The older a person becomes the more this tendency increases. However, when such people’s values are shattered, then their heart is opened. It is easier for such people to accept God. That is because they have become poor in spirit.  Things like bankruptcy, sickness, disasters, death in the family, etc. are all things that are turning points for values to change.  To such people the good news will be proclaimed.  Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.  I have not come to call the righteousness, but the sick.” (Mark 2:17) This is the meaning. It is like a sick person. If he isn’t humble enough to receive medical treatment, then he won’t be saved.  A person that is fully immersed in his own thinking and values no matter how much he hears the wonderful news, he won’t be saved.

There is a joke. A person who was sightseeing in Canada saw an old man fishing at a lake. However, it was strange but the old man caught a huge fish, but he let it go and only put small fish the size of his hand in the bucket. The person who was sightseeing asked, “Why did you let the huge fish go?” The old man answered, “My frying pan is 25 cm. Therefore, a bigger fish won’t fit in it.”  That’s why the old man was letting the big fish go.

We too do things like this old man.  We throw out anything that doesn’t stay within our world view. We only accept what agrees with our own thinking.  Without realizing it we set our heart on own thinking making it absolute. We won’t accept anything else and judge things that are different from our own thinking.  That is what the scholars of the law and Pharisees of that time were like. They thought they were correct so they weren’t able to accept Jesus. They saw what Jesus was doing and they complained saying, “Oh no, he’s eating with sinners!” “He’s not following the religious traditions!”　About such people Jesus said, “You brood of vipers!” (Matt. 23:33)

Here it says, “to bind up the brokenhearted”. (1) Are we binding up the brokenhearted? Jesus said, “Come to me all who are weary and I will give you rest.” Like this Jesus invites the brokenhearted to come and he will heal them.

Then is “to proclaim freedom for the captives

and release from darkness for the prisoners,

to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor.” (1) “The year of the LORD’s favor” (1) is the “Year of Jubilee” that is in Lev. 25. The “Year of Jubilee” came every 50^th year and was a year of being set free. At that time various debts were cleared.  Also the slaves who had been sold were set free and they were able to return to their homes. In short, this was massive liberation by grace.  This means that in the course of time the

Savior will come to this world and by this Savior he will bring freedom from sin. God’s people who have committed uncountable amounts of sin will be set free by their Lord. It is a pattern of the age of salvation when sin will not be accused.

Jesus came to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor.” (1)  There will be massive liberation from spiritual problems, psychological problems, financial problems, and from all problems.  Therefore, when Jesus comes, many people will be encouraged by the words of grace that come from his mouth.  The blind will see, the lame will be healed and the dead will rise. Those who are demonized will be set free, and people captivated by various problems will be liberated. That’s not all. A time will come when those people who have sinned and as a result are captive to death will be forgiven.

Our mankind’s last enemy is death.  Death came as a result of sin. There is no one that can overcome death.  It is even said that mankind is the slave of death.  The famous Martin Hemmingway said, “All of mankind is a being shut in by death.” We became slaves for such a thing and in the end man gave up and yields to death. However, for us Jesus came, and took upon himself all of our sin and died in our place on the cross.  That is not all. Three days later he rose again. By the power of the resurrection like blasting death overcame it.  He came to make the “Year of Jubilee”, a perfect liberation, a reality and to proclaim it. What amazing grace! Like this he will “comfort all who mourn.” (2)

“and provide for those who grieve in Zion-

to bestow on them a crown of beauty                                                                                 instead of ashes,

the oil of joy                                                                                                                        instead of mourning,

and a garment of praise

instead of a spirit of despair.” (3)

“Those who grieve in Zion” (3) will be given “a crown of beauty.” (3) “Ashes” are a symbol of mourning and lamenting. When Israel was suffering in sorrow they covered themselves with ashes. For example, when David’s sister Tamar was raped by Amnon, her brother, (David was the father of both Tamar and Amnon, but they had different mothers.) “Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the ornamented robe she wearing” (II Samuel 13:19) that only “virgin daughters of the king wore.” (II Samuel 13:18) Then “she put her hand on her head and went away, weeping aloud as she went.” (II Samuel 13:19) That was the height of sorrow, an expression of the extremity of sorrow. However, by Christ when we are liberated from our sin, “instead of ashes (3) we will receive a crown on our heads. A crown on the head is a symbol of celebration. Christ will change  sorrows into blessing.

Also it says, “the oil of joy instead of mourning.” (3) This is a symbol of blessing. Oil is poured out when the king is ordained. Anointing of oil was also common on joyous occasions. It was also customary to anoint the heads of the guests at banquets. The oil of mourning will be changed into the oil of joy and blessings. The Savior, Jesus, will change your sorrows to joy.

As it says, “a garment of praise instead of a spirit of despair.” (3) “A spirit of despair” (3) is also changed into praise.

The result is “they will be called oaks of righteousness.” (3) Oaks are strong, hard, magnificent trees. They have very green leaves that are full of vital energy. They will become like such oak trees. An oak tree is an oak tree, but in 1:30 there is also “an oak with fading leaves.” Those who are separated from God and are living their own life are like “an oak with fading leaves.” (1:30) However, those who by the Savior, Christ, have been redeemed of their sin, and have been set free from their sin can live a life like a righteous oak tree.

II.          You will be called priests of the Lord (Vs. 4-9)

Next please look at verses 4 to 9. First I will read verses 4 to 6. “They will rebuild the ancient ruins and restore the places long devastated; they will renew the ruined cities that have been devastated for generations. Aliens will shepherd your flocks; foreigners will work your fields and vineyards. And you will be called priests of the LORD, you will be named ministers of our God. You will feed on the wealth of nations, and in their riches you will boast.” (4-6)

“They” (4) are the people that by God’s Christ have been redeemed of their sin. “They will rebuild the ancient ruins” (4) of Jerusalem and the temple and “renew the ruined cities.” (4) Aliens will shepherd their flocks; foreigners will work their fields and vineyards. Until then it will not be like this. Until then the aliens will torment Israel. Such aliens will shepherd their flocks; foreigners will work their fields and vineyards.

However, you will have a different responsibility.  What you will do is the work of the priests, you will minister and “you will feed on the wealth of the nations, and in their riches you will boast.” (6) “You” (6) are God’s redeemed, Zion. Zion will become the Lord’s priest, and “will be named ministers of our God.” (6) They will receive the wealth and glory of the nations.

This is an awesome blessing. Priests intercede to God for the people. Also they give God’s grace and blessings to the people. “You will be called priests of the LORD.” (6)

For example, Abraham prayed to God for Abimelech king of Gerar and his family. Also Jacob blessed the Egyptian Pharaoh . This means that their positions have been reversed. Usually the person of higher standing blesses the person of lower standing.  However, the lower person is blessing the higher person. This means that God gave Abraham and Jacob a position and authority surpassing the other kings of the earth. Therefore, to be a priest of God is a very glorious. “You will be called priests of the LORD.” (6) Us Christians are promised that we have been given this position. “You are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God.” (I Peter 2:9)

“You” (I Peter 2:9) are Christians We “are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God.” (I Peter 2:9) so that we “may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light.” (I Peter 2:9)

That’s not all. Please look at verse 7. “Instead of their shame

my people will receive a double portion,

and instead of disgrace

they will rejoice in their inheritance;

and so they will inherit a double

portion in their land,

and everlasting joy will be theirs.”

“My people will receive a double portion, and instead of disgrace…they will inherit a double portion.” (7) This “double portion” (7) more than being exactly as the words say a double portion, it is better to think of it as a symbolical figure. It means that they will be abundantly blessed.  In the Old Testament law too, a thief “must pay back double” (Exodus 22:4) for what he has stolen. It is to pay back double.  Israel was always being plundered, but a time will come when they will be properly paid back. Let’s look forward to the things that we have lost being paid back in double portion.  What has been taken away from you?  You may have had various things like your time, your effort, your money, your possessions stolen or you may have had bad times, but God will pay you back double.

Then verse 8 says, “For I, the LORD, love justice:

I hate robbery and iniquity.

In my faithfulness I will reward them

And make an everlasting covenant with them.”

“I, the LORD” (8) loves justice. “Justice” (8) is to act properly in accordance with the law.  It is to obey and behave properly according to the Bible.  It is to love God. Therefore, we too must obey the Bible. We must do what pleases God. There may be few, just a handful of people that do so.  It may be in the minority to live for God. Most people may think that the Bible is not important and they live by their own thinking, “but as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD.” (Joshua 24:15) We just walk on the road that the Lord shows.  That is because the Lord loves justice. People may criticize you.  People may give you a bad time. However, even so we walk the road that the Lord shows. That’s because the Lord loves justice. Such a person is blessed. Such a person is like verse 9 says blessed eternally into the following generations.

III.         Rejoice in the Lord (Vs. 10,11)

Therefore, the conclusion is to rejoice in the Lord.  Please look at verses 10 and 11.  “I delight greatly in the LORD;

my soul rejoices in my God.

For he has clothed me with garments of salvation

and arrayed me in a robe of righteousness,

as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest

and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels,

For as the soil makes the sprout come up

and a garden causes seeds to grow,

so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise

spring up before all nations.”

”I” of verse 10 if you look at the context from verse 1 you will see that this is the Messiah. It is said to refer to the Savior, Jesus Christ.

Therefore, Jesus delights “greatly in the LORD.” (10) Jesus’ soul too rejoices in the Father, God. The Lord clothed Jesus “with garments of salvation and arrayed” (10) him “in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” (10) This doesn’t mean that Jesus needed salvation. This means that Jesus comes with salvation clothes. He comes arrayed “in a robe of righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.” (10)

This is not just Jesus. We who believe in Jesus and are a part of Jesus too can take part in the same blessings as Jesus. “We are heirs-heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ.” (Romans 8:17) When Jesus is blessed, we are blessed too. We share Jesus’ glory.

We are “co-heirs with Christ.” (Romans 8:17) That is because we are “co-heirs with Christ.” (Romans 8:17) so we can receive God’s blessings together with Christ.  Such blessings are promised to us.  In the Millennium we will rule this earth with Jesus. What a wonderful promise! We are really weak, lacking much, but even so just like Jesus who by the Lord delights “greatly in the LORD.” (10) and rejoices, we too can “delight greatly in the Lord” (10) and rejoice in the Lord.

“I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.” (Romans 8:18)

We are promised such glory. Our present life has difficulties all the time. Every one has various concerns and struggles. There are deep societal problems too, financial problems, the education of children, taking care of parents, they are all difficult things However, we have been given a certain hope. Good news will be preached to the poor and the brokenhearted will be healed.  The captives will be set free and the prisoners released from darkness. The year of the Lord’s favor will be proclaimed. All who mourn will be saved. Instead of sadness there will be joy and instead of mourning there will be praise. Even in the midst of this present life we can rejoice in Christ. We can be thankful. In the midst of the realities of difficulties, don’t forget the Lord’s grace and let’s praise and thank the Lord.

This is from the book, “A life of Thankfulness, 365 days”. A 15 year old girl made this kind of contribution to an American newspaper.

“I am unfortunate. I don’t have my own room. My parents won’t believe me and they strongly watch my every move.  I don’t have a boyfriend. I don’t have good looking clothes. My future is all black.”

A 13 year old girl who read this contribution wrote this article and sent it to the newspaper. “I can’t walk.  How great a blessing it is to be able to walk! I can’t walk, but I can see, hear and talk so instead of complaining about my misfortunate feet, I am thankful!”

This content makes us think. We quickly look at what is not in the world and wail, and complain, but we aren’t looking at how great the grace is that we have been given. God has given us salvation. He gave use a future hope and blessing too. What we must look at is the Lord who gave us salvation. We can “delight greatly in the LORD” (12) and rejoice in our God and praise him. This week too let’s look at the salvation that we have been given, and give praise and thankfulness to the Lord.

In Isaiah chapter 58 Isaiah touched on Israel’s problem.  That was that their faith was just a formality, and it had no substance.  Action didn’t accompany it.  In this chapter 59 it takes up the root problem.  That is the problem of sin. They weren’t able to put their faith into concrete action because of the root problem of sin.  They can’t solve the problem of sin by their own power.  Only God can save them. Only God can solve all the problems of sin and punishment.

Ⅰ.Separated from God

First please look at verses 1 to 8.  I will read verses 1 and 2. “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.”

This content was also in 50:2. Even though Israel because of their sins was destroyed and became captive to Babylon, they bore a grudge towards God and accused him.  They complained that God had abandoned them just like a man’s child is sold into slavery when his debts were not paid.  However, that is definitely not so. The Lord loves them with eternal love.  Therefore, no matter what happens he will never abandon them.

The problem was their “sins” (50:1) and “transgressions” (50:1) Therefore, they were sent away. They themselves were the whole cause of them becoming like they were, Therefore, in 50:2 the Lord says, “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,

I turn rivers into a desert;

their fish rot for lack of water and die of thirst.”

The Lord until now has sent prophets over and over again to them to warn them.  Even so no one answered him. “Why”? (50:2) It wasn’t because God’s arm was “too short to ransom” (50:2) them. It wasn’t because God lacked “the strength to rescue” (50:2) them. It was because they didn’t have any faith. No matter how much they were warned, they didn’t listen to the Word of God.  That was the problem.

Here too it is saying the same thing. They became like this not because “the arm of the LORD is…too short to save.” (1) It is also not because God’s ears are “too dull to hear.” (1) Their iniquities “have separated” (1) them from their God and their “sins have hidden his face from” (1) them “so that he will not hear.” (1)

We often make a mistake and think that because of it God is angry and has moved away from us, but that is not so. God hasn’t moved away, but we have moved away.  For example, remember Adam. Adam was the first to sin. When he took and ate fruit from the tree that he was told not to eat from, God didn’t move away from him.  Even then God wanted to be with Adam. Therefore, he called out to Adam, “Where are you?” (Genesis3:9) Adam was hiding between the trees not because he was playing hide and seek, but because he had sinned, He was hiding because he was afraid. Therefore, it wasn’t God who moved away from Adam, but Adam moved away from God. When man sins, he hides from God.  The sin becomes a wall, separates us from our God, and   hides God’s face from us “so that he will not hear.” (1)

Please look at verses 3 to 8. Here it describes the result of sin, how filthy man became. First in verses 3to 6 sins committed by the hands and mouth are written about. “For your hand are stained with blood,

your fingers with guilt.

Your lips have spoken lies,

and your tongue mutter wicked things.

No one calls for justice;

no one pleads his case with integrity.

They rely on empty arguments and speak lies;

they conceive trouble and give birth to evil.

They hatch the eggs of vipers

and spin a spider’s web.

Whoever eats their eggs will die,

and when one is broken, an adder is hatched.

Their cobwebs are useless for clothing;

they cannot cover themselves with what they make,

Their deeds are evil deeds,

and acts of violence are in their hands.”

“For your hand are stained with blood, your fingers with guilt. Your lips have spoken lies, and your tongue mutter wicked things. No one calls for justice (3,4) or “pleads his case with integrity. They rely on empty arguments and speak lies.” (4) They

do things to entrap other people. In fact, they entrap people. It is just like hatching from “the eggs of vipers”. (5) It is really “trouble”. (4)  Also like spinning “a spider’s web” (5) they cause others to fall into a trap.

Please look at verses 7 and 8. “Their feet rush into sin;

they are swift to shed innocent blood.

Their thoughts are evil thoughts;

ruin and destruction mark their ways.

The way of peace they do not know;

there is no justice in their paths.

They have turned them into crooked roads;

no one who walks in them will know peace.”             Next is their feet. “Their feet rush into sin; they are swift to shed innocent blood…The way of peace they do not know; there is no justice in their paths. They have turned them into crooked roads; no one who walks in them will know peace.” (7,8)

Please look at Romans chapter 3. Romans 3:9-18.

“What shall we conclude then? Are we any better? Not at all! We have already made the charge that Jews and Gentiles alike are all under sin.  As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; there is no one who understands, no one who seeks God.  All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit. The poison of vipers is on their lips.  Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.  Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes.’”

Paul is quoting this passage to show that all men are “under sin.” (Romans 3:9) The first man Adam sinned, so all men are under sin. The Jews are not an exception. All men are “under sin.” (Romans 3:9) “All have turned away, they have together become worthless.” (Romans 3:12) We are the same too. We may think that we aren’t such terrible people, but we are like mud that has settled at the bottom of a cup. When the water is stirred, the water is completely muddy. This could happen to us at any time.

How can this problem of sin be solved? Can it be cut off by your will? Can it be solved by fasting? I often decide to diet, but I haven’t been successful yet. Even though man’s will seems strong, it is surprisingly weak. How could such a will cut off sin? Paul confesses how wretched he is in his inability to cut off sin. “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from the body of death?” (Romans 7:24)

This is a naked confession of a man who confronted sin.  No one can rescue us “from the body of death?” (Romans 7:24) However, unless this sin is removed there is no salvation. What should we do?

Ⅱ．The confession of sin (Vs. 9-15)

To do that we must admit that we are such a being. In other words, we have to admit that we are sinners, and agree with what God says. In the Bible this is called “confess”. Please look at verse 9. “So justice is far from us,

and righteousness does not reach us.

We look for light, but all is darkness;

for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.”

Here the subject changes. Up to here it has been “They”, but now it changes to “us”. It is because from here on they are confessing sin. Up until now they were shown to the point that they were disgusted at how filthy they were from sin and they consented to it and admitted that they were like this. The solution to sins begins by admitting to it. If you are shown how filthy you are, begin by admitting that it is true. If you make excuses, or think that it is unrelated to you, you will never be able to flee from the sin.

Here it says, “We look for light, but all is darkness; for brightness, but we walk in deep shadows.” (9) This is human life. We go all out to build a better society by our wisdom and constant effort, but what was the real result? Civilization developed, and did it become a peaceful world without struggles and war?  No, it didn’t. “We look for light, but all is darkness.” (9) Many people are beginning to realize that the past was more peaceful. The development of civilization doesn’t necessarily lead to happiness.

Please look at verse 10. “Like the blind…at midday we stumble as if it were twilight; among the strong, we are like the dead.” It is being in the condition of not knowing which direction we should go. It is like “we all growl like bears; we moan mournfully like doves. We look for justice, but find none; for deliverance, but it is far away.”(11)  It seems like it is describing the present world. Problems stack up and we growl like impatient and frustrated bears no knowing which direction to go to cope with the problem. While the problems are not yet solved, the next problem comes up. We come no nearer to the real solution and it gets further and further away.

The reason is in verse 12. “For our offenses are many in your sight,

and our sins testify against us.

Our offenses are ever with us,

and we acknowledge our iniquities.”

What a wonderful confession! They honestly admit “For our offenses are many in your sight, and our sins testify against us.” (12) Then they confess, “Our offenses are ever with us, and we acknowledge our iniquities.” (12) They are confessing that their sin is not just a simple act of sin, but it is sin that by nature always clings to them. In Paul’s words, “What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from the body of death?” (Romans 7:24) It is the same thing. They are confessing that they are really sinful people that are beyond help.

Please look at verses 13 and 14. “rebellion and treachery against the LORD,

turning our backs on our God,

fomenting oppression and revolt,

uttering lies our hearts have conceived.

So justice is driven back,

and righteousness stands at a distance;

truth has stumbled in the streets,

honesty cannot enter.

This became a form of admitting that what God said in the previous verses 3 to 8  is right, completely true. The subject is just been changed from they to we. They are acknowledging all the offenses that God had pointed out to them. However, this is where real salvation begins.  The end of verse 15 says, “The LORD looked and was displeased that there was not justice.”  If you will look at the next verse you will see that “there was no justice” (15) for Israel means that “there was no one to intervene” (16), to work salvation. “Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you;

He rises to show you compassion.

For the LORD is a God of justice.

Blessed are all who wait for him!” (30:18)

It is only the Lord who can bring salvation.  There is no one else who can intervene. “The LORD longs to be gracious to you.” (30:18) God longs to give you salvation, but for that salvation to begin we must admit that we are as the Lord says, sinful and then repent.

Ⅲ．The salvation of the Lord. (Vs. 16-21)

Please look at verse 16. Here it says, “He saw that there was no one,

he was appalled that there was no

• one to intervene;

so his own arm worked salvation for him,

and his own righteousness

sustained him.”

This means that the Lord looked and there was no one that could save them and no one that could intervene for them and “he was appalled”. (16)

Before when Israel left Egypt and was led to the wilderness, they worshipped the golden calf, which was about to bring the anger of God upon them and they were about to be destroyed, but then Moses stood between God and the people and prayed like this, “But now, please forgive their sin-but if not, then blot me out of the book you have written.” (Exodus 32:32)

Moses stood between God and the people and interceded. However, in this age there is no one who will stand up, intervene, and intercede. On the human end there is no one who can save them from their sin.

Therefore the Lord will rise up. There is no one so the Lord’s “own arm worked salvation.” (16) This is salvation. Therefore, God sent Jesus Christ into this world 2000 years ago, and completed the work of salvation. There is no one who can save us from sin so Jesus came to this world and like an intercessor, a mediator, was put on the cross and died. He interceded praying, “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing.” (Luke 23:34) Therefore, this is a prophecy that the Savior Jesus Christ would come. “His own righteousness sustained him” (16) means that God brought in a righteousness by the merit and meditation of his own Son. Christ is called “the righteousness that comes from God.”（Phil3:9）

Please look at verse 17. Here it says, “He put on righteousness as his breastplate, and the helmet of salvation on his head; he put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.”

Here “righteousness” and “salvation” are expressed as things to be worn. This means that by putting on righteousness we will be allowed before God. This is the righteousness of God. Paul says in II Cor. 5:21, “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”

Also in Romans 3:23 and 24 too he said, “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.”

We cannot save ourselves from sin. It is only God’s “grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24) that we “are justified freely.” (Romans 3:24) We must put on our Lord Jesus. We shouldn’t work hard like Adam sewing fig leaves together to make a covering in a feeble and futile attempt to hide our shame, which only God can cover, but put on the covering that God has prepared. That covering is Jesus Christ.

Have you put on righteousness? Have you put on the clothes that God has prepared.  The one and only way that we can be saved is by putting on righteousness. There is no other way. It is only by Jesus Christ that we can be “justified freely”. (Romans 3:24)

Here it says, “He put on the garments of vengeance and wrapped himself in zeal as in a cloak.” God says in 63:4, “For the day of vengeance was in my heart, and the year of my redemption has come” The day of judging the enemy meant at the same time redemption for God’s people. It is a part of the day of the Lord. God will with “zeal” (17) carry out the work of righteousness, salvation, and judgment. Salvation is not by our power, but by the “zeal” (17) of the Lord.

Please look at verses 18 and 19. “According to what they have done,

so will he repay

wrath to his enemies

and retribution to his foes;

he will repay the islands their due,

From the west, men will fear the

name of the LORD,

and from the rising of the sun,

they will revere his glory.

For he will come like a pent-up flood

that the breath of the LORD drives along.”

This means that the Lord “will come like a pent-up flood” (19) to repay. In other words this is a prophecy of the second coming. In Isaiah’s age the Messiah, the Savior Christ hadn’t come so Christ’s first coming and second coming are seen as two overlapping mountain peaks in the far distance. However, in reality there is a time gap between them like there are valleys between mountains. We are now in a valley. The Savior has already come.  However, the Lord will come again. At the time the Lord will “According to what they have done, so will he repay wrath to his enemies and retribution to his foes; he will repay the islands their due, From the west, men will fear the name of the LORD, and from the rising of the sun, they will revere his glory.” (18,19) It will be “like a pent-up flood.” (19) The Lord “will come like a pent-up flood that the breath of the LORD drives along.” (19) We are now waiting for this. This will be for us the time of the completion of our salvation.

Last year typhoons came one after another to Japan, bringing huge disasters to every area. On T.V. there were pictures of the washout of the levees on the Katsuragawa      River in Kyoto. The water of the river with tremendous momentum gushed into the tourist area of Kyoto. Like that flood the Lord will come again. When Jesus came the first time, he came as a servant of the Lord. He had “nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.” (53:2) He came to serve. However, when he comes again, he will come as the glorious king, the King of Kings, He will come in glory. When Jesus comes again he will come gushing with tremendous momentum like when a levee has washed out.

Now there maybe people who can’t believe this at all, but that is the same as how it was in the age of Noah. In Noah’s age too there were people who couldn’t believe and made fun of Noah. Just as the Lord had said, there was a flood and everything on the earth perished.  However, Noah and his family who entered the ark were saved. In the same way, God is warning us that at the time of the Lord’s judgment, he will come again like a raving flood. The reason that that hasn’t occurred yet is because as II Peter 3 says, “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness.  He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.” (II Peter 3::9)  This day is certainly getting closer. The water is gradually building up. In the course of time the levee will break and like a pent-up river gushing out, the glorious Lord will come. Are you prepared for his coming? Have you entered the ark of salvation, of Jesus Christ.

Lastly, let’s look at verse 21. “As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD. “My Spirit, who is on you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will not depart from your mouth, or from the mouths of your children, or from the mouths of their descendants from this time on and forever,” says the LORD.

This is the covenant that God made between us and God. Even if the words of the covenant are passed down for ever, they will never change. This is the way of salvation.  To be saved from the bounds of sin that bind us is the one and only method of salvation that God prepared.  Salvation is given only by seeking God’s help for yourself. It is given by admitting honestly your sins, invoking God’s mercy, and through Jesus Christ who intercedes for us. Have you received this salvation? Seek God’s salvation. That’s because salvation is in the Lord’s hand.

Today I’d like to talk from Isaiah 58 about the faith that pleases God. Verse 3 says, “’Why have we fasted,’ they say,

‘and you have not seen it?

Why have we humbled ourselves,

And you have not noticed?’”

Israel was enthusiastic religiously. However, God was not pleased with their enthusiasm.  They could be said to be in the condition of fruitless spiritual activity, of being in a rat race. We too must be careful to not fall to the same mistake. Today I would like to talk about 3 aspects of a faith that pleases God.

1. A made to look like faith (Vs.1-5)

First please look at verses 1 to 5. Here vain fasting is written about. I’ll read verses 1 and 2.  “Shout it aloud, do not hold back,

Raise your voice like a trumpet.

Declare to my people their rebellion

and to the descendants of Jacob their sins.

For day after day they seek me out;

they seem eager to know my ways,

as if they were a nation that does what is right

and has not forsaken the commands of its God.

They ask me for just decisions

and seem eager for God to come near them.

This was spoken by God to Israel. God says to “Shout it aloud…raise your voice like a trumpet” (1) and declare to Israel. That’s because God’s people, “the descendant of Jacob”, (1) Israel has sinned. This must be declared to them. “Day after day they seek” (2) God and they “seem eager to know”(2) God. However, in reality they were far from God.

Their problem is explained in verses 3 to 5. It says, “’Why have we fasted,’ they say, ‘and you have not seen it? Why have we humbled ourselves, and you have not noticed?’ Yet on the day of your fasting, you do as you please and exploit all your workers. Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists. You cannot fast as you do today and expect your voice to be heard on high. Is this the kind of fast I have chosen, only a day for people to humble themselves? Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?  Is that what you call a fast, a day acceptable to the LORD?”

Certainly they were enthusiastic in the practice of fasting. However, their heart didn’t concretely accompany it. It seemed like they were seeking God’s righteousness, but in reality it was different.  In reality they sought to do as they pleased.  Here it says, “on the day of your fasting”. (3) This was the Day of Atonement. It is written in Lev. 16, but in Israel once a year the high priest was to slaughter a cow and goat as a sacrifice for sin. Its blood was sprinkled inside the tent, in other words on the mercy seat that was in holy of holies and all of Israel’s sin was atoned for. It was ordained that they must fast on that day. However, they didn’t fast just once a year. They fasted over and over again. For example, Zechariah 8:19 says, “This is what the LORD Almighty says: ‘The fasts of the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months will become joyful and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah.  Therefore love truth and peace.“ They fasted on “the fourth, fifth, seventh and tenth months” (Zechariah 8:19) too. This was to repent to God. They fasted as a sign of repentance and sadness of sin that they had become captive to Babylon because they had committed sin.

That’s not all. Such religious enthusiasm gradually escalated and they began to fast twice a week, on Monday and Thursday. The scholars of the law and the Pharisees were like this. In the prayer of the tax collector and the Pharisee that appears in Luke 18:12, the Pharisee prays, “I fast twice a week…” is from this background.

However, no matter how much you humble yourself and fast, if it doesn’t fulfill its original purpose then it is completely meaningless. “On the day of fasting, (3) they did as they pleased and exploited all their workers. Their fasting ended “in quarreling and strife, and in striking each other with wicked fists.” (4) Even though they were enthusiastic religiously, in their concrete life the fruit of it couldn’t be seen. No matter how much you fast like this there is no possibility that God will be pleased.  The original purpose of fasting was to devote yourself to God and to become humble before God. If there isn’t that then even if you fast it will end in just being a fruitless activity. Also such a faith without realizing it becomes a hypocritical one.  Hypocrisy means acting, dramatizing, or pretending. It is made to look like faith, but religiously there is no substance to it.

Let’s open your Bibles to Luke chapter 14. In verse 3 Jesus asks the scholars of the law and the Pharisees, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?” That was because there was a person there that suffered from dropsy. Dropsy is a sickness where the body accumulates too much water and becomes bloated.  At that time it was thought that like leprosy dropsy was a sickness of a curse from God. Also the Jewish teachers, the Rabbi, that it was the result of fornication.

One Sabbath when Jesus entered a Pharisee leader’s house to eat a meal.  However the scholars of the law brought a person suffering from dropsy there. That was to trap Jesus. If Jesus healed the man on the Sabbath then they would accuse him of sinning by breaking the law.

However, Jesus knew what was in in their heart and questioned them, “Is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath or not?”  They were silent.  They couldn’t answer. If they said that it is o.k. to heal on the Sabbath it would be breaking the principles of the Sabbath.  However, if they answered that you mustn’t heal then it would mean that it was o.k. to ignore your neighbor’s suffering.  Either answer would not be good.  Therefore, they were silent. Then Jesus held the man suffering from dropsy, healed him, and sent him home. Then he said, “If one of you a child or an ox that falls into a well on the Sabbath day, you not immediately pull it out?” Luke 14:5

They couldn’t answer. That was because they didn’t understand the most important thing about the law. That is to love God and to love people. “All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matt. 22:40) Even so they didn’t understand this. Therefore if this is not understood, no matter how formally the law is followed, it is not what God desires and is just a religious right that is being performed.

This is what we too must be careful about. There are cases where you think that you do religious duties like going to the worship service, giving offerings, reading your Bibles occasionally at home and praying so that you are ok. while at the same time “you do as you please” (3) quarreling and having strife. There are cases where even if you conduct yourself piously at the worship, when you leave the church and the moment you get in the car, you fight with your wife or have hatred for your relatives, or you walk among people and without reserve slander others, and gossip about others. There are cases when we get stuck on something and are angry all day.  That is made to look like faith, but it isn’t.

The Lord Jesus’ brother Jacob said this, “What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if someone claims to have faith but has no deeds?  Can such faith save them? Suppose a brother or a sister is without clothes and daily food.  If one of you says to the, ‘Go in peace; keep warm and well fed,’ but does nothing about their physical needs, what good is it?  In the same way, faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.”(James 2:14-17)

“Faith by itself, if it is not accompanied by action, is dead.” (James 2:17)      It doesn’t mean that if you don’t have deeds then you are not saved.  Real faith is accompanied by deeds. If there are no deeds, then it is just a faith that is made to look like faith, but it really isn’t a faith.

1. What real faith is like (Vs. 6,7)

Then what kind of fasting pleases God is written about in verses 6 and 7. “Is this not the kind of fasting I have chosen: to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke?  Is it not to share your food with the hungry and to provide the poor wanderer with shelter- when you see the naked to clothe them, and not to turn away from you own flesh and blood.”

Here it teaches us what kind of fast pleases God. In other words, it is “to loose the chains of injustice and untie the cords of the yoke, to set the oppressed free and break every yoke”. (6) Also it is “to share your food with the hungry.” (7)  It is to welcome to your house the poor who have no house and provide him with a warm bed. It is to clothe the naked. It is also to take care of your poor relatives. In other words, it is to give a hand to those who are on the brink of difficulties and to those who are oppressed, and to give what is needed to those who are suffering from poverty.

This is in agreement with the letter of James that we read previously. Read faith is accompanied by substance. To be accompanied by substance means that if there are people suffering around you, to “untie the cords”. (6)  If there are people that are actually asking for help, to give responding to their needs. James said this. “If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless.  Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:26, 27)

“Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.” (James 1:27) This doesn’t mean to be unconcerned about your brothers and sisters and neighbors, or to put up a front of being loving. Even if a person is religious and enthusiastically follows things of the law, if he is uninterested in the needs of the people around him or is uninterested in the needs of brothers and sisters in the church, that is not real faith. Real faith is to share concretely. That is because to share is concretely shown in God’s love.

“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)

God gave Jesus to this world because he “loved the world”. (John 3:16) That was so “that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16) “God is love.  This is how God showed his love among us; He sent his one and only Son into the world.” (I John 4:8, 9) There is a saying that “love freely takes”.  However in reality love is the opposite. It freely gives. We who were saved by love must become people that share.

During Golden Week any place you go is crowded so we didn’t go anywhere, but watched a DVD. The DVD was Schindler’s List. It is a true story of during World War II in the midst of the Jews being massacred by the German Nazis a German industrialist, Oskar Schindler saved over 1,100 Jews.

In August of 1939 Poland was captured by the German army. The stage of the movie is the Kraków Ghetto where the Germans move Polish Jews into as World War II begins. Oskar Schindler, an ethnic German, arrives in the city hoping to make use the war as a way to make his fortune. He acquired an enamelware factory and began business. In the course of time, a cruel lieutenant is sent to oversee the Krakow Ghetto and he began to murder Jew after Jew. Schindler who up until then had only been interested in making money witnesses the massacre and is profoundly affected. As time passes, Schindler’s focus shifts from making money to trying to save as many lives as possible. He bribes the lieutenant into allowing him to build a sub-camp for his workers so that he can better protect them.

As the Germans begin to lose the war, the lieutenant is ordered to ship the remaining Jews to Auschwitz concentration camp. Schindler asks the Lieutenant to allow him to move his workers to a new ammunitions factory he plans to build in his home town of Zwuttau-Brinnlitz. The Lieutenant agrees, but charges a huge bribe for each person that Schindler takes to his new factory. Schindler creates a list of people to be transferred from to Brinnlitz and thus saved from transport to Auschwitz. The list of “skilled workers” included children who were also hired. The list of Jews was “Schindler’s List”. It was called a list of life and there were more than 1,100 people on the list.  Schindler used all the money he had to buy as many Jew as he could and save them.

In the course of time when the war ended and the Jews were set free, he apologized to the Jews saying that if he had had more money he would have saved more Jews.

The Jews who were saved by him were very thankful for him desperately saving them. For his work during the war, in 1963 Schindler was named Righteous Among the Nations, an award bestowed by the State of Israel on non-Jews who took an active role to rescue Jews during the Holocaust.

This is love. Love gives oneself freely. Love does not take away, it gives. “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son.” (John 3:16) To give our most important things is love. That is the fasting that pleases God.     It is not a made up faith, but a real faith.

How about you? Are you giving joyfully to your neighbor?  That is not something that can be done easily. We are really selfish and self centered and think only of ourselves. We think that its o.k. as long as we are getting the good end of it.  However, let’s remember that the fasting that God is pleased with is to joyfully share with our neighbors. In order to walk like this let’s seek the Lord who is the source of love.

1. Then  (Vs. 8-14)

When we live as such a man of faith, what will happen? Lastly let’s look at the blessings God give to such people of faith.  Let’s look at verse 8 to the end of the chapter. Here the word “Then” appears 3 times in verses 8, 9, and 14. First of all let’s read together verse 8. “Then your light will break forth like the dawn,

and your healing will quickly appear;

then your righteousness will go before you,

and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.”

““Then your light will break forth like the dawn, and your healing will quickly appear.” (8) “Your healing will quickly appear” (8) means you will be restored quickly. Their spirits which rotted and died by hypocrisy when they listen and follow the Word of God will begin to be restored

Here it says, “your light will break forth”. (8) This is a strange expression.  Israel is not a light.  Their faith is rotten. Therefore, they don’t have any light at all.  Even so it says, “your light”. (8) This is not a light that they have, but it is the light they have received from God whom they believe in. This light is a light that shines in the darkness, and there is new power and recovery there. 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)

Also Job 11:17 says, “Life will be brighter than noonday,

And darkness will become like morning.”

Even if your heart is dark like darkness, it will become “brighter than noonday.” (Job 11:17) That light has that much power. By that light “your healing will quickly appear.” (8) How blessed it is to walk by that light!

That’s not all. The words that comes after it says, “then your righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.” (8) This too is not the righteousness that you made, but the righteousness that you received and believed in.  That “righteousness will go before you, and the glory of the LORD will be your rear guard.” (8) In other words, just like Israel who was led in the desert after the Exodus by the cloud during the day and the fire at night, the Lord will take care of us in the wilderness of life and lead us to the kingdom of heaven.

Please look at verse 9. Here is the second “then”. “Then you will call, and the LORD will answer; you will cry for help, and he will say: Here am I.” (9) If you call, “God!”, God will answer immediately. God will answer, “Here am I”. (9) That is if you “untie the cords of the yoke “(6)  , stop gossiping, have concern for the poor, and satisfy the desires of those who are troubled.

Please look at verses 11 and 12.  Let’s read this together. “The LORD will guide you always; he will satisfy your needs in a sun scorched land and will strengthen your frame. You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail. Your people will rebuild the ancient ruins and will raise up the age-old foundations: you will be called Repairer of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.”

How wonderful! No matter what kind of soil you are, “the LORD will guide you always…You will be like a well-watered garden, like a spring whose waters never fail.” (11) Also some of the people will “rebuild the ancient ruins” (12) of the temple in God’s city, Jerusalem, that was destroyed by Babylon and they “will be called Repairer 　of Broken Walls, Restorer of Streets with Dwellings.” (12) Those who receive the Lord’s blessings, the Lord’s guidance will not be called the destroyed, but the “Repairer”. (12)

Then verse 14 says, “Then you will find your joy in the LORD.”  In verse 13 it talks about the Sabbath again and this is the same thing. If you understand the meaning of the Sabbath, and give thankfulness and joy to the Lord for redeeming you, and worship the Lord from your hearts, then “you will find your joy in the LORD” (14) and enjoy plentiful food in the promised land.

Such blessings will be given. How about you? Do you desire the fasts that God desires? Are you seeking the faith that pleases God? On the outside it may seem like you are earnest faith, but it is possible that there is a gap of faith. Let’s seek to have a faith that pleases God.

Last week I went to the annual meeting of the Conservative Baptists.  There I attended a lecture by a Pastor that I am close to.  It was about a book that is now out of print, “The Emotionally Healthy Church” by Peter Scazzero. The pastor translated this book. As he translated this book he matured and was taught many things about the maturing of the church he was pastoring. That is in our hearts there are hurts that hamper our spiritual maturity. In many cases that is deeply connected that person’s upbringing. If the light of Gospel doesn’t shine on it, in other words, if we aren’t treated by the grace of the Gospel, no matter how much of the message of the Gospel we hear it just ends in knowledge. It doesn’t soak deep into the person’s heart. In other words, the faith is just on the surface. His faith doesn’t change. I Thess. 5:23 says, “May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”  Sanctification doesn’t soak into spirit, soul, and body. To do it is necessary that the light of the gospel soaks deeply into the spirit, soul, and body.

In his talk he talked about a woman that is in the church that he is pastoring.  This woman has been a Christian for 40 years. It could be said that she was a grand Christian. She has always been single and worked as a nurse in a hospital. Of course she lives a disciplined Christian life. On the skin level she looks like a splendid Christian. However, she is cold. This Pastor went to college and seminary in America and so he spent a long time in America. She says things like, “Pastor you were in America for a long time so you don’t understand.”

This church has an early Morning Prayer meeting every Friday. One time this woman came to the prayer meeting.  The Pastor was thrilled and said,” Oh, I’m glad you came. Let’s pray together.” The woman replied, “No, I just came to observe to see what the prayer meeting is like.” She is always cold. The pastor was always distressed not knowing why she was like that.

However, after reading the book, he realized that she must have a wound in her heart.  That wound was hampering her from being meek and mild. The Pastor didn’t judge her, but listened from his heart to what she was saying. Then she said, “Pastor, you always talk about marriage and families, but I don’t understand it well.”  The Pastor realized that that she never married and had always been single so whenever she heard such talks, she couldn’t accept it.  However, by her opening up her heart to him about that and by the Pastor accepting how she felt she was changed.

In that church there was a young man from Mongol. He got hepatitis. She accepted him like her child and nursed him well. Of course, since she was a nurse that may seem natural, but what was different was it was not a superficial relationship. She payed for all his medical expenses.

She was changed this much because the grace of the Gospel wasn’t just a head knowledge, but soaked down deep into her spirit. The light of the Gospel had shown deep into her soul. As a result her faith was not superficial, but was really from her heart. She was really changed.

This is the kind of faith that pleases God. When we hear about the grace of the Gospel, we mustn’t listen to it as if it is for other people, but accept it into our hearts. If we actually put it into our life, God will definitely change you.  James said, “Do not merely listen to the word, and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says.” (James 1:22) How are you? Are you possibly just listening? Let’s obediently accept the Word of God hat has been given to us. Then we will become a person that pleases God. Let’s be a person that puts the Word of God into action. The Word of God can save your soul.

From Isaiah 57:15 on God’s self-introduction appears. In the Bible who God is is expressed in many ways, but there aren’t many places where God himself says what kind of a being he is.  However, here God himself clearly says what he is like.

1. The One whose name is holy (Vs. 15,16)

The first point is that God is “high and exalted…lives forever” (15) and his “name is holy.” (15)  Please look at verse 15.

Verse 15

The first half of chapter 57 talked about what happened, the result, of Israel being separated and running to idols.  Here it shows how compared to idols what the real God is like. In other words the real God　is  “high and exalted…lives forever” (15) and his “name is holy.” (15) That means that God is in a very high place and is completely far away from us. God is so far that even if we want to go near him we can’t. There is a saying “a being above the clouds” and truly God is a being above the clouds.  Here it says “whose name is holy. “ (15) This “holy” (15) means set apart. Of course God is completely without sin or filth, but more than this means that God is completely distinct from man. He surpasses and stands above man’s world. We are human so we say such things like “That person is really outstanding or remarkable”, but anyone as a long as they are the same human being has the possibility of making effort and obtaining the same level. However, in the case of comparing God and us humans, it’s a completely different dimension.  God is a completely different being from the creatures that he created. No matter what man does he can’t come near God.  That is the meaning here of the word “holy”. (15) Therefore, here “I live in a high and holy place” (15) means that we humans on this earth can’t be compared at all with God.

This word appears in Exodus 3:5. When Moses was taking care of sheep in Midian he came to God’s mountain, Mount Olive. There he saw a strange scene.  A bush was burning, but it wasn’t being burnt up. When he came close to see the great scene, God said this to Moses.

“Do not come any closer…Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy ground. “ (Exodus 3:5)     Moses was a shepherd so for the shepherd to take off his shoes from his feet meant in other words death. The shepherd’s shoes were like a sandal, but if he took them off he could not walk in the wilderness. There are rocks and wild thorns so even with shoes, to take care of the sheep in such a place was really a difficult thing. And without shoes he couldn’t go with the sheep so he wouldn’t be able to take care of the sheep.  If he couldn’t take care of the sheep, then the sheep couldn’t live. Therefore, for him to take off his shoes also meant death.  God said for him to take off those shoes.  That was because Moses came to a completely different sphere from where he had been until now. He had come before the Holy God.  That was for Moses death. The place where he was standing was holy ground.  Therefore, he had to take off his shoes. This was for Moses death. For a shepherd, life maybe equivalent to taking off his shoes. However, without such a sacrifice man can’t come near the Holy God. Here this shows that Moses was not a person that could go with footgear on, to continue the way he was, to the Holy God. He had to take off his shoes. That’s how holy God is.

Also in the age of King David there was this event.  When the symbol of God’s presence, the ark of the Covenant, was brought to the City of God, although they had to  according the ordained laws of holiness carry the ark on people’s shoulders like a mikoshi, (like a Shinto god is carried in a Japanese festival) some people loaded it on an oxcart and the ox pulled it to carry it to the city. However, the oxen stumbled. The oxcart tilted and the ark of covenant almost fell. Then Uzzah thought that it must not fall so he put out his hand to support the ark. Then God struck him and he died. Even though he did it out of perfect intentions, no matter what the intentions are, sinful man by his hand supported God’s ark so God’s wrath broke out. God’s holiness is this type of thing.  We can’t go near God, and can’t touch God. Without death we can’t go near God. This is the meaning of “holy”. (15)

However, this “high and exalted One…who lives…in a high and holy place” (15) is at the same time “with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.” (15) This is really surprising! Here it says, “with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit.” (15) The word here for “contrite” is the word for “dust” in Hebrew, and is expresses the condition of being made into dust.  That is the appearance of complete repentance. Also “lowly” (15) isn’t just being a servant, but expresses accepting the present misfortunes and agony and becoming “lowly”. In other words, it means to be slapped over and over again. God lives “in a high and holy place.” (15) No matter what man does he cannot come near God. However, God will live with the person whose heart is cut into shreds, whose assertion has been                                broken into the smallest fragment, and who is aware that he himself is the most wretched, and God will “revive the spirit” (15) of such a person, and “revive the heart” (15) of such a person.

Isaiah said this out of his own experience. When Isaiah was called to be a prophet is written about in chapter 6 .There he saw the vision of the Holy God on his throne. Then he heard the angels call to each other, “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD Almighty; the whole earth is full of his glory.” (6:3) Before God’s holiness he cried, ”Woe to me!…I am ruined!” (6:5) Before the Holy God he realized how filthy he was and what a shameful being he was. He understood that he was nothing more than dust. There is the phrase “as different as night and day”.  Isaiah realized that the difference between him and God was like night and day. He realized that he was a filthy person not living up to the will of God and if God noticed him, he would be nothing more than a perishing being. Just as it says, he was slapped and broken into dust.  It was the experience of his own being itself dying. That is the meaning of “contrite and…lowly” (15)

However, in the midst of this he looked to God.  He thought that he would be struck by God and that he was ruined, but at that time, the angels that had been singing up until then stopped singing, and from the burning fire of the altar for sacrifices brought a burning coal and touched Isaiah’s lips saying, “See this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” (6:7) Isaiah thought that he was ruined, but not him, but God on his side touched him, and made him clean. Before God to really recognize your irresponsibility is a blessed thing, but like this when he was completely contrite, God forgave his sin, and lived with him, and revived his spirit.

What man does is immediately brag to other people, “I can do that. I can do this.” “I have that. I have this.” In such a person’s heart, God does not live. Those who say that they have come to church for so many years; that they know everything about the church; that they’ve studied the Bible so they don’t have to study anymore; that they have this gift and that gift, such people will not be used by the Lord. God uses people with a contrite and repentant heart. God will definitely not have contempt for people with a contrite and repentant heart. God will live “with the one who is contrite and lowly in spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.” (15)

Ever since the creation of the heavens and the earth, the most lowly, and there has never been anyone more lowly than him, was Jesus Christ. He was so lowly that the word humble can’t describe him enough. Christ Jesus “who, being in very nature God,” (Phil. 2:6) became man. He was unlimited, but he became limited. He had no sin, but he died on the cross. Therefore, there is no other way that we can become contrite except by believing in Jesus and becoming one with Jesus. No matter how much we try to be lowly, we can’t make real humbleness our own. However, if we become one with Jesus who gave up himself and was contrite to the point of being crucified on the cross, we can become like him. To be baptized is this. When we are baptized we go under the water it expresses that we are dying with Christ on the cross. Also when we come up out of the water it expresses that like Jesus rose from the dead we too are rising up to live a life with Christ. Now we are living in this world not for ourselves, but by the faith of

believing in God’s son who loves us and gave up himself for us. That is was this expresses. This is what a person who is contrite and lowly is like. The Lord is with such a person and revives his heart.

2.God who heals our sin  (Vs. 16-18)

The second point is that God heals our sin. Please look at verses 16 to 18. “I will not accuse them forever, nor will I always be angry, for then the spirit of man would grow faint before me-the breath of man that I have created.  I was enraged by his sinful greed; I punished him, and hid my face in anger, yet he kept on in his willful ways. I have seen his ways, but I will heal him; I will guide him and restore comfort to him.”

God does “not accuse…forever.” (16) God is not “always…angry” (16) forever. God temporarily “was enraged by his sinful greed…punished him, and hid” (17) his “face in anger”. (17)  Therefore, you’d think man would repent, but that was not so. “He kept on in his willful ways.” (17) Even so the Lord says the he will heal him, “guide him and restore comfort to him.”(18).

This is first specifically reveals the judgment of God by Babylon. Israel kept on in their selfish willful ways so God used the country of Babylon to destroy them. For 70 years they lived as captives. Even so God is not “always…angry” (16) forever.  God does not get angry and hide his face forever. God saw their ways, but he will heal them of their sins “and restore comfort to him.”(18).

What encouragement! It would not be strange for God to say, “Go your own selfish way!” and abandon them, but God not only didn’t do that, but intervened in                their wretched hopeless situation. Then God healed their hearts wounded by sin. He healed their hearts by taking upon himself, their sin. Let’s go back to chapter 53. Chapter 53:4-6 “Surely he took up our infirmities

and carried our sorrows,

yet we considered him stricken by God,

smitten by him, and afflicted.

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.

We all, like sheep, have gone astray,

each of us has turned to his own way;

and the LORD has laid on him

the iniquity of us all.

By our sins and iniquities being laid on the Lord’s servant, Jesus Christ, he heals of our infirmities that we have. Normally the punishment that we would have to receive for our sins so that we wouldn’t have to receive it Jesus took it upon himself in our stead.  We can see how amazing the grace is to become a child of God! We are really deep in sin, stupid and unable to live without sinning. The moment that we repent of sin and believe in the Savior Jesus Christ, we become a child of God and no matter what sin we commit after that, for all our life, that relationship will not change. All the sins that we commit from now on are forgiven. Jesus’ salvation is that huge. Therefore, this is a privilege.

“Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God.” (John 1:12)

This is a privilege! This is a tremendous privilege! From the moment that you repent and believe in Jesus Christ, all your sins of the past, present, and future are forgiven. As a child of God, no matter what God will never leave you or abandon you. Until the end of the world, he is always with you.

In verse 16 it says, “I will not accuse them forever, nor will I always be angry.” This word, “accuse” (16) means “convict”. God won’t condemn our sins forever. Instead so that our spirit does not “grow faint” (16), he will encourage us.  Therefore, even if we go our willful ways, even if temporarily God is angry, he will not “always be angry”. (16) Even if Israel is captured by Assyria and Babylon, and punished by suffering, they will not be in that condition forever.  That is just like whipping a child. If a child does something bad, the parent will punish the child, but in the course of time will forgive and with both hands open wide hug the child, and so that the child will walk in the straight way will generously support him in every conceivable way.

In the same way God will not be angry with you forever. He “will not accuse” (16) you forever. If you repent and return to God, God will forgive you.

3.God who gives peace (Vs. 19-21)

The third point is that God gives us peace.  Please look at verse 19. “’creating praise on the lips of the mourners in Israel. Peace, peace, to those far and near,’ says the LORD. ‘And I will heal them.’”

“Praise on the lips” (19) are songs of thanksgiving and hymns. It is a prophecy that the people who as the result of their sins, because of God’s anger, are mourning, but  such people will be healed and will be singing songs of thankfulness and hymns. That’s not all. God will give peace “to those far and near.” (19) “Those near” (19) are the Jews in Jerusalem. “Those far”(19) are the dispersed Jews. Also it could be said that it is referring to us Christians who are God’s people by belief in Christ. God’s peace will be given “to those far” (19) and also to those near.  “Peace” (19) is “Shalom”. It is said to be the state where every aspect has no imperfections and the state is completely satisfying. God will bring peace, shalom “to those far and near.” (19)

Jesus said this. “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you.  I do not give to you as the world gives.  Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” (John 14:27)

Jesus gives peace. It is different than what the world gives. The living Bible translates the peace that the world gives as short-lived peace. Jesus doesn’t give a temporary peace that blooms today and tomorrow is withered, but a certain peace a certain peace that isn’t shaken at all in any situation.

An historian said, ”Up until now in all of history there has never been an age like now where people are so greatly attacked by fear and uncertainty.” In this insecure age what is desired the most is this kind of peace, isn’t it? God gives this type of peace to “him who is contrite and lowly in spirit” (15) in other words, to those who believe in Jesus.

However, the wicked are not so. Please look at verses 20 and 21. “But the wicked are like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud. ‘There is no peace,’ says my God, ‘for the wicked.’”

“The wicked” (20,21) means the people that don’t believe in Jesus more than it means people who are doing bad things. It is people who don’t believe in Jesus, believe in themselves, and go their own willful ways.  These people “are like the tossing sea.” (20) They are very anxious. They are never fulfilled. They are extremely anxious with inexpressible emptiness and guilt. Just as the “waves cast up mire and mud” (20) from their mouths come mud.  They swear and always with a high pressured manner yell in anger at people. That is the characteristic of the wicked.  They have no peace in their hearts so they always have to attack others. There is never any peace for the wicked. Even though they are successful in work, and no matter how much money they have, and even though they have everything they need for living, they don’t have peace. That’s because they don’t believe in the Savior Jesus. It is because they still have sin in their hearts.  As long as sin is not forgiven, there is no peace. That is “like the tossing sea, which cannot rest, whose waves cast up mire and mud.” (20)

How about you? Do you have peace? If not, pray to the Lord who creates praise on the lips to give you a peaceful heart that can sing songs of thanksgiving and hymns.  Go to Jesus and walk contritely and lowly. If so, you can obtain peace.

Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.  For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”  (Matt. 11:28,29)

How you live depends upon your decision.  If you believe in Jesus, and are contrite and lowly then God will live with you and revive you. However, if you take lightly his voice and go your own willful way then you will be nothing but a tossing sea. May you receive God’s peace and encouragement. God is a God who will heal your sin, revive your heart, and give you peace.

Today’s message title is “Prepare the road!” In verse 14 it says, “And it will be said: ‘Build up, build up, prepare the road!” To “prepare the road” (14) doesn’t mean to do construction. After that it says “Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.” (14)It is to remove the things that cause us to stumble and the bumps in our heart. We have so many bumps in our heart! We have so many various kinds of bumps like uninterest in God, the stones of selfishness only thinking about what is good for you yourself, anger towards someone, rocks of prejudice of looking down on others, thoughts of fulfilling your desires, etc. There are really many various kinds of bumps! We must remove such bumps from the road. What kinds of bumps (obstacles) do you have in your heart?

Today while looking at the bumps that were in Israel, let’s remove the things in our heart that cause us to stumble.

1. The blessings that are coming in the course of time (Vs. 1,2)

First of all, please look at verses 1 and 2. “The righteous perish,

and no one ponders it in his heart;

devout men are taken away,

and no one understands

that the righteous are taken away

to be spared from evil.

Those who walk uprightly

enter into peace;

they find rest as they lie in death.”

This is a prophecy that a time will come when even though “the righteous perish…no one ponders it in his heart…and no one understands.” (1) “The righteous” (1) are those who follow and live for God. “Devout men” (1) are “faithful” and is sometimes translated as “merciful”. They live in God’s mercy and affection. There is still hope for a society that is saddened and angry about the death of the righteous, but there is no salvation for a society that thinks nothing about them perishing. There is no hope. In a sense it is a dead society.  Israel who was proud of being God’s people was really in such a condition.

It is said that this is referring to the Jewish King, Manasseh. He was the king during the age of Isaiah. King Manasseh was different than his father, King Hezekiah. He was a terrible king. He restored the idols that his father Hezekiah had removed.”He did evil in the eyes of the Lord” (II Kings 21:2) and committed detestable sins. He violently oppressed the prophets that earnestly objected, and criticized his policy. If you look at II Kings 22:16, it says, “Manasseh also shed so much innocent blood that it filled Jerusalem from end to end.”  Not just the prophets, but ordinary citizens too were killed. It was to the point that it is said that maybe Isaiah too was killed by Manasseh. He was really a terrible king.

However, that is not just in the age of Manasseh. If you look back on history, this has happened over and over again. For example, in 70 A.D. the Jews were violently persecuted by the Roman Empire. In World War I more than 6,000,000 Jews were slaughtered. Such a history has always continued. It has not only fallen on the Jews, but in the same way also on Christians who believe in and live for God. Until now many Christians have been persecuted and martyred.”In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted.” (II Tim. 3:12)

However, here is encouragement. Even if “no one ponders it in his heart;…and no one understands” (1) there is someone who “ponders it in his heart”, (1) That is God. The last part of verse 1 and verse 2 says, “that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.”

Isaiah 56:9-12 describes what Israel’s stupid leaders were like. “They are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they lie around and dream they love to sleep.. They are dogs with mighty appetites…each seeks his own gain.”

However, in contrast to this, here the people that are described believed in God, and followed God living for God. They lived in God’s mercy and affection. Such people certainly don’t attract attention in this world, and leave this world without being rewarded, but that is not so in the future. “The righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.” (1, 2) “Enter into peace” (2) and “find rest” (2) is to die. It means the grave.  Therefore, “that the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil…enter into peace” (2) means that they will not meet the disasters at the end of the world.

Please open your Bibles to I Thess. 5:9. It says, “For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.”

This is a prophecy of God’s wrath that will come in the course of time, in other words, a prophecy of the tribulation period that will occur before the second coming of Jesus Christ. At that time various disasters will occur by the judgment of God.  They will be disasters like no one has ever seen before and they will be accompanied by suffering that no one can endure. Concretely this written about in Rev. 6:17. “For the great day of their wrath has come, and who can stand?”

No one can stand it. That is how fearful a disaster will come.  However, “God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (I Thess. 5:9) Christians who believe in the Lord Jesus, the people of God will not meet disaster, but will be taken away.  This is called the “rapture”. In the course of time when Jesus Christ returns, the people who believe in God and who are “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.” (I Thess. 4:16, 17) I don’t want to go to heaven without experiencing death so I am always waiting expectantly thinking that I want the Lord to hurry and return. In an instant we “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.” (I Thess. 4:17) God’s judgment will come in the great tribulation, but Christians will not meet God’s judgment.

How blessed this is. In this world no one may understand us. In some regards it may be thought to be a lonely life. However, in the course of time we will receive such blessings. Truly “the righteous are taken away to be spared from evil. Those who walk uprightly enter into peace; they find rest as they lie in death.” (1, 2)

Therefore, don’t be discouraged thinking that there is no reward for believing in Jesus. I don’t want you to think that that you will not obtain anything for believing in Jesus. We Christians are prone to discouragement thinking that those who don’t believe in Jesus can live as they like while we Christians are suffering. However, our lives are a continuous turn around. Don’t be on an emotional roller coaster by the things that happen before your eyes and keep your eyes on the glory that is appointed for you to come in the course of time and let’s live depending on the Lord.

1. The vain idols (Vs. 3-13)

Next please look at verses 3 to 13.  Verses 3 and 4 say, “But you-come here, you sons of a sorceress, you offspring of adulterers and prostitutes! Whom are you mocking? At whom do you sneer and stick out your tongue? Are you not a brood of rebels, the offspring of liars?”

Here “sons of a sorceress” (3) and “offspring of adulterers and prostitutes” (3) who are exactly the opposite of “the righteous” (1) and “devout men”, are being described.

The “sons of a sorceress” and “offspring of adulterers and prostitutes” of verse 3 have forsaken God and have run to idols. They mock those who believe in God. They sneer and stick out their tongues.  That’s not all. If you look at verse 5, as it says, “You burn with lust among the oaks and under every spreading tree; you sacrifice your children in the ravines and under the overhanging crags,” they indulged in sexual depravity.

“Among the oaks and under every spreading tree” were places where idol worship took place. There they did obscene sexual acts. Not only that, but they sacrificed their children. Child sacrifice was practiced in the worship of the Ammonite god Molech. This was the result of being separated from God and falling into sin. Today’s abortion is the same, the result of being separated from God and falling into sin.

We may think that Israel wasn’t doing such a thing, that they are God’s chosen people so it’s unthinkable that they would do such a thing, but these words are being spoken to Israel. That was what Israel was actually like. Even though God strongly forbid idolatry, Israel allowed the religious practices of the surrounding peoples to infiltrate into their life resulting not only in idolatry but causing them to indulge in sexual depravity and child sacrifice.

Verses 6 to 8 describe what the idolatrous Israelites were like. Verse 6 says, “The idols among the smooth stones of the ravines are your portion; they, they are your lot.  Yes, to them you have poured out drink offerings and offered grain offerings. In the light of these things, should I relent?” Like Japan offering wine to the pagan gods was a popular custom.

In verse 7 it says, “You have made your bed on a high and lofty hill; there you went up to offer your sacrifices.” These high places or mountain shrines were places of  worship of Canaanite origin. They were condemned throughout the Old Testament.

Verse 8 says, “Behind your doors and your doorposts you have put your pagan symbols.”  What they had to put on their doors and doorposts was God’s word.

“Hear, O Israel; the LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength.” (Deut. 6:4,5)  These words came to be known as the “Shema” and God commanded them to “Write them on the door frames of your houses and on your gates.” (Deut. 6:9) Even so they put pagan symbols behind the doors and doorposts. As a result they became involved in idolatry and obscene acts.

Please look at verses 9 and 10. “You went to Molech with olive oil

and increased your perfumes.

You sent your ambassadors far away;

you descended to the grave itself!

You were wearied by all your ways,

but you would not say, ‘It is hopeless.’

You found renewal of your strength,

and so you did not faint.”

Molech was the main god of the Ammonites. Israel went to great costs to seek help from Molech, even bringing perfume to him and alluring him.  Israel had travelled far from God, seeking aid from Molech and even descending to the grave itself. “When men tell you to consult mediums and spiritists, who whisper and mutter, should not a people inquire of their God? Why consult the dead on behalf of the living.” (8:19) Israel was “wearied” with her quest; but she would not confess her weariness. She would not say, “It is hopeless”. (10) She wouldn’t admit that idols are vain and useless. Even though it was in vain, she stirred up her remaining strength, and persisted in her course, and refused to repent.

Then look at verses 11 to 13. “Whom have you so dreaded and feared

that you have been false to me

and have neither remembered me

nor pondered this in your hearts?

Is it not because I have long been silent

that you do not fear me?

I will expose your righteousness and your works,

and they will not benefit you.

When you cry out for help,

let your collection of idols save you!

The wind will carry all of them off,

a mere breath will blow them away.

But the man who makes me his refuge

will inherit the land

and possess my holy mountain.”

God looked at Israel doing evil and continued to warn with words of grace. However, the Israelites hearts were hardened by sin and weren’t able to listen to God’s Word.  They didn’t listen to God’s warnings. They thought that God was silent and their heart became more evil. They didn’t fear God and fell to worshipping a whole “collection of idols”. (13) However their “collection of idols” (13) that they served as gods were in reality a vanity, nothing more than a powerless being. They were so vain that “The wind will carry all of them off, a mere breath will blow them away.” (13) Thus, in order to judge them God reveals the vanity of idols and that He is alive. Their “collection of idols” (13) cannot save them. Rather the wind or a mere breath “will carry all of them off.” (13) They are that vain. To depend upon such vain things will bring no happiness. However, please look at the end of verse 13. Let’s read from the word “but” on. “But the man who makes me his refuge will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain.” (13)

“Inherit the land” (13) is to receive God’s blessings.  Also to “possess my holy mountain” (13) is to posses the holy mountain which is Zion.  In other words, God’s presence will become that person’s Have you received the blessings that God gives?  If not, it is necessary to deeply examine your lifestyle.  Perhaps you still have some connection with idol worship. Colossians 3:5 says, “your earthly nature…which is idolatry.” If you love pleasures more than God, if you love your job more than God, if you love recreation more than God, then that is the same as idol worship. If you have such thoughts, then that is the same as the sin that Israel committed.

The devil by your earthly nature distracts you from your faith. Before when the devil tempted Jesus too he showed him all the splendor of all the world and said tempting him, “All this I will give you…if you will bow down and worship me.” (Matt. 4:9)  This is Satan’s old trick. Our heart is pulled away from God by Satan’s attack and we disobey God.

However, no matter how worldly we become it is nothing more than a temporary pleasure. It may seem like it sets us free from stress and we are enjoying life, but soon we become dark again.  Such things will soon be blown away.  “The wind will carry all of them off, a mere breath will blow them away.” (13) Such things are vain. If you give yourself to such things, if you are devoted enthusiastically to such things, then it is so vain! What we must give our life to, what we must seriously concentrate on is God who made us and gave his life to save us. “But the man who makes me his refuge will inherit the land and possess my holy mountain.” (13)

1. Prepare the road! (Vs. 14)

Therefore, the conclusion is to “prepare the road!” (14) Let’s read verse 14. “And it will be said: ‘Build up, build up, prepare the road! Remove the obstacles out of the way of my people.”

This means to dig in the dirt and make a road. The interesting thing is that word that is used here means “to pave” They are to dig the road and pave it, and make it level.

This appeared in Isaiah 40:3,4 too. “A voice of one calling; ‘In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.  Every valley shall be raised up, every mountain and hill made low; the rough ground shall become level, the rugged places a plain.’”

As it says, John the Baptist appeared in the desert “preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.  John wore clothing made of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message; ‘After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.  I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit’” (Mark 1:4-8)

John the Baptist was sent on a mission to prepare the road for Jesus.  Of course that doesn’t mean that he was sent out to do construction work. He was to prepare their hearts so that it would be easy for the Savior Jesus to come, and so that Jesus could pass through easily.

Jesus came to bring God’s love to our hearts and in addition through our heart  love is given to the people around us. However, if when Jesus came, if we had anger burning up in our hearts toward someone, how would that be? Jesus would not be able to enter our hearts. Also through our heart God’s love will not be given to the people around us.  If the wall of indifference towards others in our heart is closed, how would that be? What if the rock of prejudice of looking down on others came rolling what will happen?  Jesus won’t be able to enter our heart and go through our heart.

In order for Jesus to go through our heart we must remove the obstacles that are on the road of our heart.  Before Israel had the obstacle of idolatry.  In order for God to come to them the obstacle of idolatry needed to be removed. However, that is not just Israel. We too, if we have obstacles in our life, we if we have bumps in our heart, we must remove the obstacles and make it level. What bumps do you have in your heart?

In our heart we have various obstacles. There is anger, indifference towards God, selfish thoughts of only what is good for myself, a heart that looks down on other people,  and thoughts that you want to meet your needs. Such obstacles are lying there.

For Jesus to pass through we have to remove all the obstruction. Each single thing must be removed, and the road for Jesus to pass on must be prepared. Then we must be careful not to reject the Savior that is coming. May you give your heart to the Savior and live a life overflowing in the blessings of God.

Up until now Isaiah has prophesized about the salvation that will come by the Lord’s servant’s cross. Also he speaks about how we must respond to this salvation. In today’s passage he speaks about how we should look forward to this salvation which is close at hand.

1. Maintain justice, do what is right (Vs. 1,2)

The first point is that we must “maintain justice and do what is right.” (1) Please look at verses 1 and 2. Verse 1 says, “This is what the Lord says,

‘Maintain justice

and do what is right,

for my salvation is close at hand

and my righteousness will soon be revealed.’”

“Maintain justice” (1) means to obey the Word of God and do the will of God. “Do what is right” (1) is to have a right relationship with God. In other words, it is to believe in the Lord’s salvation, and to live prepared for the Lord’s second coming so that whenever he returns it’ll be o.k. God said to Israel to “Maintain justice and do what is right.” (1) That is because God’s “salvation is close at hand” (1) and his “righteousness will soon be revealed.” (1) If Jesus was coming this evening, how would you prepare? Probably you would go home and desperately try to clean. You will prepare the everything and get dressed, won’t you?  Won’t you stop your life covered with sin and get ready so that you’re o.k. no matter when the Lord comes? All those who look forward to the Lord’s salvation, the Lord’s second coming, keep themselves pure. This is what Christians living in the end times should really be like.

Paul said about this salvation which “is close at hand” in Romans 13:11 to 14, “Do this, understanding the present time.  The hour has come for you to wake up from your slumber, because our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed.  The night is nearly over; the day is almost here.  So let us put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.  Let us behave decently as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and debauchery, not in dissension and jealousy. Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature.”

Now the Lord’s “salvation is nearer now” (Romans 13:11) so “put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.” (Roman 13:12) We must “behave decently.” (Romans 13:13)  If you think about it, 2000 years have passed since Paul wrote this.

In other words, the Lord’s “salvation is nearer now” (Romans 13:11) than when Paul wrote this. If so, we must purify ourselves and “behave decently as in the daytime.” (Romans 13:13)

Concretely how we should live is recorded in verse 2. “Blessed is the man who does this, the man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.”

As an example of maintaining justice and doing what is right here it talks about keeping the Sabbath day. That is because one of the reasons that Israel was captured and deported by Babylon was because they hadn’t kept the Sabbath.  The Sabbath started from sun down on Friday until sun down on Saturday. This day was the Lord’s holy day of complete rest and they weren’t allowed to do any job of any kind. If someone did any work on that day he had to be killed. That was the eternal covenant between God and Israel. It was the unique and special symbol that Israel was the people of God, but they didn’t keep the Sabbath. Therefore, God had them captured by and deported to Babylon. Therefore, for the Jews who were promised that they would return to Jerusalem the number one priority for doing what is right is to keep the Sabbath.

What does this mean for us Christians?  Paul in Col. 2:16-17 says, “Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat　or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. They are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.”

The Sabbath is a pattern of Christ. In other words, it is not necessary to concern oneself with the Sabbath. What we need to be concerned about is Christ himself.  To be concerned about Sabbath is like talking to a shadow. It is a false teaching. It is a wrong teaching that causes people to become separated from the truth. We must not be confused by such teachings. That is because the reality, Christ, is coming.  This Jesus Christ is really the Lord of the Sabbath, what the law was aiming at. Therefore, no matter how earnest you are for the law, if there is a gap between it and Christ, then you  have totally missed the mark so you have misplaced your priorities.  Because Christ is the reality we must do what Christ desires.

What Christ desires is what the rules of the Sabbath were aiming at: to set aside one day of the week as the Lord’s Day and make it holy. That day is to be a rest from all work, and to remember the Lord and for worship.  That is the purpose of Sunday worship.  We gather and worship every Sunday to remember the Savior who has atoned for our sin and rejoice in him, and give praise and thankfulness to him from our heart.  It is dangerous if we fall to legalism and we just stress gathering and worshiping in form on Sunday. The Lord saved us from sin. By the Son, Jesus Christ’s blood he redeemed us from the knot of sin that we could not get out of on our own. We remember this work of salvation and give thanks and worship to the Lord. This is the purpose of Sunday Worship. To do that we separate ourselves from all things of this world and concentrate on the Lord so that we don’t get so busy that we forget the Lord. If not, we can’t concentrate on the Lord. We are easily influenced. So on Sunday, as a memorial to Christ’s resurrection from the dead, we gather together, and worship the risen Lord. This is what is meant by setting the day aside. We make the day as theLord’s Day.  We set the day apart, and cut off all our relationships with this world and the things of the world and look to the Lord. To establish such a life style is what the Sabbath is aiming at.

Of course, not just Sunday is the Sabbath. For Christians every day is the Lord’s Day.  However, if every day is the Lord’s Day, of course, naturally you will want to make this day the Lord’s Day and set it apart to worship together with your loving brothers and sisters in Christ.

By obeying the Sabbath, while having the assurance that we are the Lord’s, by putting all our burdens at the feet of the Lord, we obtain peace and physically and spiritually receive strength. We can be energetic and healthy. This is the secret to the blessing that the Lord has ordained. It’s not good just to work haphazardly.  Work hard 6 days and rest one day and worship God. This is the principle ordained by God for a blessed life. If not, not only will we miss the blessings, we will fall into the condition of being prisoners to something.

In the Living life devotional there was an article by Don Mahban. In the age of the opening of the West in America, a horse carriage left St. Louis in the midland for Oregon. The party was all devoted Christians so the Lord’s Day they stopped moving and rested.  Of course, they rested and worshipped.  However, gradually winter closed in on them. Some of the people became anxious that they would not arrive before the snowstorms came so they suggested that they continue running without resting on the Sabbath.

They weren’t able to unify their opinions so they divided into 2 groups and continued their trip. One group rested completely on the Sabbath and the other continued to travel on the Sabbath.  The group that rested arrived at their goal, Oregon, the earliest. They rested on the Sabbath and were fully rested so they were reenergized and could continue running strong the other 6 days. Don Mahban summed up his conclusion with, “God esteems those who esteem his commands.”

This is what is desired of Christians living in this age. The Lord says,　“Maintain justice and do what is right…Blessed is the man who does this, the man who holds it fast, who keeps the Sabbath without desecrating it, and keeps his hand

from doing any evil.” (1,2) God will bless such a person. Now the Lord’s “salvation is close at hand” (2) so let’s obey God’s Word more and more and walk the road that pleases the Lord.

1. A house of prayer for all nations (Vs. 3-8)

Next let’s consider verses 3 to 8.  Verse 3 says, ”Let no foreigner who has bound

himself to the LORD say,

‘The LORD will surely exclude me

from his people.’

And let not any eunuch complain,

‘I am only a dry tree.’”

“Foreigner” (3) is the Gentiles and “eunuchs” (3) were men whose testicles had been cut off.   Foreigners were outside the blessings of Israel and they thought that they could not receive those blessings. However, the work of the servant of the Lord would change this. God’s blessings would not only be for the Israelites, but would extend to the Gentiles.  Therefore, ”Let no foreigner who has bound himself to the LORD say,

‘The LORD will surely exclude me from his people.’” (3) Also Eunuchs were excluded from the assembly of the Lord. In Deut. 23:1 it says, “No one who has been emasculated by crushing or cutting may enter the assembly of the LORD.”  Therefore, they were truly like “only a dry tree.” (3) It was though that as a human they were completely without worth. However, such eunuchs were not to say, “I am only a dry tree.” (3) That is because as it says in verse 4 and 5, “To the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, who choose what pleases me and hold fast to my covenant-to them I will give within my temple and its walls a memorial and a name better than sons and daughters. This means that they will be given the same grace as Israel.  That is because in the course of time the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ will destroy the barrier that gave them feelings of alienation.

Ephesians 2:11-16 says, “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 were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, now has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, but abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations.  His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility.”

The Gentiles (eunuchs) “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.” (Eph. 2:12) However, even such people by being in Jesus Christ “have been brought near.” (Eph. 2:13) That is because Christ was put on the cross and by his body did away with the hostility. Hostility was put to death by the cross.

The same was for the “foreigner who has bound himself to the LORD.” (3) As it says in verses 6 and 7, the “foreigners who bind themselves to the LORD to serve him, to love the name of the LORD…all who keep the Sabbath without desecrating it and hold fast to” (6) God’s covenant, the Lord will bring to the Lord’s “holy mountain and give them joy in” (7) God’s house.  “My holy mountain” (7) and “my house of prayer” (7) is Jerusalem. Jerusalem is God’s temple. God will bring them there and “give them joy”. (7) This is really a surprising prophecy for those who know about the temple courts. That’s because any one including Gentiles could enter the courts, but foreigners could not enter into the temple. However, in God’s kingdom Gentiles and Jews can enter into the same temple and pray. “Their burnt offerings and sacrifices will be accepted on” (7) the Lord’s altar.  That’s because as it says in the end of verse 7, “my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations.” It is not just for the Jews. It is “a house of prayer” (7) for all those who believe in Christ. People from all over the world can worship God. Gentiles too, Eunuchs too, those who until now have been separated far from God too, anyone if they believe in Jesus, can center the temple and worship anytime. The benefit of worship is that you will be blessed.

That is because Jesus is really the real temple. Jesus said, “Destroy this temple, and I will raise it again in three days.” (John 2:19) This temple was the body of Jesus. The temple is the place where God and man meet. There is no one else except Jesus Christ who died on the cross for our sins and then rose on the third day that can really offer us that meeting. In the temple of Jesus’ body all people can worship God. They can receive God’s blessings. However, that is not all. It is said that the body of those who believe in Jesus “is a temple of the Holy Spirit” (I Cor. 6:19) whom they “have           received from God.” (I Cor. 6:19) This means that we ourselves are the temple and we can worship God anytime and anywhere. We don’t have to go out of our way to go to the Jerusalem temple. We don’t have to go the splendid St. Peter’s Cathedral. We can go boldly before God, fall down and worship him and receive grace anytime and anywhere. Anyone can.

Jesus quoted this passage, “my house will be called a house of prayer for all nations” (8) when he cleansed the temple. “My house will be called a house of prayer, but you are making it a den of robbers.” (Matt. 21:13) Then Jesus “drove out all who were buying and selling” (Matt. 21:12) in the temple overturning “the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves.” (Matt. 21:12)

Intrinsically, the temple must be a house of prayer. It was to be a house of prayer for all nations, a place where they will be given joy, but at such a place religious business was being performed. Jesus was enraged over it.

How about us? Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit whom we received and it must be a house of prayer, but even so aren’t we making it into a den of robbers? Are we not using it for our own pleasure rather than for God’s glory?

Please look at verse 8. The Lord says, “I will gather still others to them besides those already gathered.”  “Those already gathered” (8) are the Jews. Those that the Lord will gather besides those already gathered are the Gentiles. In the last days of the world both the Gentiles and the Jews without discrimination will receive God’s blessings.  Such a day will come.  We too who are Gentiles by the blood of Jesus will be brought near. We are the temple of the Holy Spirit whom we received. Let’s remember this grace and may our bodies “be called a house of prayer for all nations.” (8)

1.  Don’t hold God in contempt (Vs. 9-12)

The third point is to not hold God in contempt. Let’s look at verse 9 to the end of the chapter. Verse 9 says, “Come, all you beasts of the field,

come and devour, all you beasts of the forest!”

“Beasts” (9) are a symbol that is used for God’s judgment. For example, Babylon was a beast. Babylon like a beast ate the people of God, Israel.  God is saying to all the beasts of the field to “come and devour.” (9) The reason is in verse 10. “Israel’s watchmen are blind, they all lack knowledge; they are all mute dogs, they cannot bark; they lie around and dream, they love to sleep.”

“Watchmen” (10) are the people who stand up on the wall and keep watch. If the enemy comes, they announce it without delay.  However these people who are supposed to be “watchmen are blind, they all lack knowledge.” (10) The leaders should be watching to see what condition their people are in, but they haven’t realized at all what is happening now

That is really like “mute dogs…they lie around and dream, they love to sleep”. (10) Even if the enemy comes, they don’t bark, but just sleep. The watch dog does not fulfill his role as a watch dog at all.  “They are shepherds who lack understanding; they all turn to their own way, each seeks his own gain.” (11) Then they say in that verse 12, “’Come’ each one cries, ‘let me get wine!

Let us drink our fill of beer!

And tomorrow will be like today, or even far better.’”

Surely “tomorrow will be like today, or even far better” (12) so “let us drink our fill of beer!” (12) In other words, they weren’t concerned at all about the coming judgment of God upon them. They though they didn’t have to worry about sinning. They thought worrying about it wouldn’t change anything. They thought they should enjoy life, have fun and be amused. They thought it was best to do what they wanted to do.  They said this and they didn’t try to change their attitude nor change the direction they were going.

However, God is not doing anything because he is being patient. He is being patient and giving us a chance to repent. If we think that our sin is a good thing and continue to sin, then it is natural that God’s judgment will come. God will say, “Come, all you beasts of the field, come and devour,” (9) and the beasts will come.

The disciples saw the magnificent temple of Jerusalem and thought that it would never be destroyed, but Jesus said to them, “Not one stone here will be left on another, everyone will be thrown down.” (Matt. 24:2)  As the prophecy says, the Jerusalem temple was destroyed to dust in 70 A.D. by the Roman Empire.

Therefore, don’t look at the situations that you can see with your eyes and think that its o.k. and all will go well and become prideful. You mustn’t take a defiant attitude thinking that you’re not bothering anyone so its o.k. to do anything you want. We must not hold God in contempt. That’s because God’s “salvation is close at hand and” (1) his “righteousness will soon be revealed.” (1) Let’s once more check to see if your thoughts are separated from Lord’s will or not and if so humbly repent and return to the Lord Jesus Christ.  If so, the Lord will forgive us. He will lead you to a new road of life. No matter how large your sin is, even “though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” (1:18) That is the Gospel, the good news.  Let’s be like those who live in the life of the Gospel. This is really what the Christian life is like for those who wait expectantly for the salvation of God.