カテゴリー: Isaiah

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Today I would like to talk about Isaiah 49. The title of the message is “The song of the Lord’s servant”. There are four passages in the book of Isaiah that are prophesies about Jesus Christ as the Lord’s servant. Today’s passage is one of them. The first one to appear is Isaiah 42:1-4. It records the calling of the Lord’s servant. In today’s passage is written the mission of the Lord’s servant, for what purpose the Lord’s servant, Jesus Christ will come to this world. Then 50:4-9 is prophesying about the Lord’s servant’s suffering and crucifixion and 52:13 to 53:12 is prophesying about the Lord’s servant vicarious substitute death and resurrection. All four prophecies are about the Lord’s servant, Jesus Christ. Today let’s look at for what purpose the Lord’s servant, Jesus Christ came to this world, his mission and purpose.

I. The Lord’s servant will display God’s splendor (Vs. 1-3)
First of all the Lord’s servant will display God’s splendor. Please look at verses 1 to 3.
Verses1-3
Verse 1 says, “Before I was born the LORD called me; from my mother’s womb he has spoken my name.” This “I” is as verse 3 says, “You are my servant, Israel, “this is God’s servant, Israel. However, this Israel is called “you” and “I” in the singular form. So we know that this is not just Israel. This is Jesus Christ. In the Bible Jesus Christ is expressed as “Israel” in several passages in the Bible. For example, if you look at Hosea 11:1, it says, “When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son.” If you look at Matt. 2:15 you will see that this was fulfilled by Christ. King Herod heard that Christ had been born as King of the Jews and was filled with fear so he had every boy 2 years old and under killed. Therefore, the angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and told him to flee to Egypt. Thus, Joseph fled to Egypt and stayed there until Herod died. In the Bible it is written that this was so that what was written in Hosea would be fulfilled. In other words, this Israel refers to Jesus Christ. Like this there are some passages in the Bible where Jesus Christ is expressed as Israel. Jesus Christ was called before he was born and from his mother’s womb the Lord spoke his name.
The reason why Jesus Christ was called is given in verse 3. It says, “You are my servant, Israel, in whom I will display my splendor.” The Lord God will display his splendor in Christ. Put in other words, Through Jesus Christ God’s glory will be shown. Here the purpose of God’s servant, Jesus Christ’s coming is written. That is to show God’s glory. The purpose of Jesus Christ coming to this world was to show God’s glory.
This is also the purpose of living that God’s servants, Christians, have. The purpose for our living is to show God’s glory. We are living now not for doing what we want to do, but to show God’s glory. Please open your Bibles to I Cor. 10:31.
I Cor. 10:31
Here Paul says, “Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (I Cor. 10:31) This is the ultimate purpose of your life. Your job, your studies, spending enjoyable time with your family, meeting people, being involved in a project; everything is for God’s glory. We are not living to do the job that we like, nor for leisure, nor for our hobbies, but are living for God’s glory. I am not saying that these other things are wrong. That is not so, but including these things, we should whether we eat or drink or whatever we do, “do it all for the glory of God.“ (I Cor. 10:31)
This summer the World Championships in Athletics held in Moscow finished. Every day in the heat heated competitions were unrolled. Among them while I was watching the Women’s running broad jump　an athlete, Brigitte Barrett, was shown on T.V. jumping and leaping preparing herself in her free time. I don’t know why but the camera caught the heel of Barrett’s shoes. The heel of her shoes had “Jesus” written on them. They showed it on the T.V. for several seconds. That is her faith. “Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God.” (I Cor. 10:31) Probably she didn’t think that would become a testimony, but it could have been her prayer. However, by the whole world watching and seeing that “Jesus” was written there it was surely a huge testimony. After that next her finger nails were shown on T.V. A cross was designed on them. My goodness, even her nails became a testimony! Whatever we eat or drink or whatever we do, we must “do it all for the glory of God.“ (I Cor. 10:31)
That is not just the good things. Both the good things and the bad things, everything can be done “for the glory of God.“ (I Cor. 10:31)
For example if you look at John 13:31, it says, “When he was gone, Jesus said, ‘Now the Son of Man is glorified and God is glorified in him.’” The setting of this verse is the Lord’s Supper. “He” is Judah. Judah left to betray Jesus. He stood up at the Lord’s Supper and left the room to betray Jesus. This was by human eyes, the worst time. However, even by such a terrible event God’s glory can be shown. Even if such a thing happens, it is also a part of God’s plan of salvation and by that God’s work will be seen.
In our lives too there are many things like this. In our lives too there are times we are betrayed by others. Also there are times when we are abandoned. However, even if such things occur, and if by that God’s work is seen, then it too will be for God’s glory. Even if it is something that is difficult for you to accept, even if it is painful, if by that God’s work is shown, that is also for God’s glory. The event of Jesus being hung on

the cross was the maximum. Jesus was by the jealousy and conspiracy of the Jews put on the cross and died. He had to spend 3 days in a dark, cold tomb. However, God raised Christ from death on the third day. By this God’s glory was shown.
Therefore, in our lives too not everything is all good. There are things that we think are bad, difficult things and painful things. However all these things too are used for God’s glory. In short, we must remember for what purpose we are living. If we remember that we are living for God and we living to so that through us God’s glory will be shown, then even if it is a painful thing, God’s peace will be there. It is will be like God promises your peace will be “like a river.” (18)
In the reverse, a life of living for yourself is not like this. 48:22 says, “There is no peace…for the wicked.” Living for your dream to be accomplished, to be successful, no matter what kind of life you spend for yourself, you will have no peace. When you die, everything is over. That is really vanity. However, a life that is lived for God’s glory is different. It is connected to eternity and peace and blessings will flow like a river into your heart and fill it.

II. The Lord’s servant does not labor in vain (Vs. 4)
The second point is that the Lord’s servant who like this lives for God’s glory “does not labor in vain.” (4) Please look at verse four. “But I said, ‘I have labored in vain;
I have spent my strength for nothing at all.
Yet what is due me is in the LORD’S hand,
and my reward is with my God.’”
Does this mean the Jesus labored in vain on the cross and that he spent his strength for nothing at all? No that’s not what it means. Of course, Jesus if you look at Jesus’ life, especially the last 3 and half years of his public ministry it may look like it was in vain. However, that was not so. The last part of the verse is written, “Yet what is due me is in the LORD’S hand, and my reward is with my God.” (4)
Humanly speaking he labored in vain. However, God knows everything, and his reward is with God. He will definitely be rewarded. It doesn’t matter whether he was successful by the world’s standards or not. What is important is how it looks in God’s eyes. Then if it is according to the will of God, even if there isn’t even 1 disciple left, it doesn’t matter. “My reward is with my God.” (4) That was Jesus’ assurance.
Also that should be our assurance too. At times we have spent our strength laboring for the Lord, but there are no results and we wonder for what purpose we have labored and we think that our labor has been in vain. We wonder what meaning there is in what we have done up until now. However, if it was for God’s glory, then there will definitely be a reward. Even if you are abandoned by everyone and there is only one person left, or even if there is no one, if that is the will of God, God will certainly give the reward. That is how Jesus’ work was. Even though when Jesus fed the crowd of 5,000 men plus women and children, with 5 loaves of bread and 2 fish, large crowds gathered around him, the minute that Jesus spoke spiritually, the minute he spoke about the cross and dying, many disciples left him. Finally in the end the only disciple that was left was John along with the women who followed Jesus. Everyone else left. However, Jesus　gave up his life for such a few people and died on the cross. Just for one person. That is what Jesus did and it was definitely not in vain.
Over and over again it seems like we have “labored in vain” (4) doing the work of God. Things don’t go as we expect. Lots of people aren’t happy. Lots of people aren’t saved. Lots of people don’t follow until the end. Even though I worked that hard, toiled that much, and spent so much in funding, everyone drifted away and there is only one person left. Now one is saved. My ministry failed. “I labored in vain.” (4) We think this way.
However, that is not so. God’s work definitely is not just laboring “in vain” (4) and spending all our strength. If you give all to the Lord and live for God’s glory, if you spend all your strength for God’s glory, there isn’t even one wasteful thing. Your reward is with God. Even if you aren’t rewarded in this life, there will come a time in heaven when you will be rewarded. That is because your treasure is stored in heaven.
Therefore even if there are no results, it is not necessary to become discouraged or to worry. Don’t worry even if day after day you have meetings, but no one comes or no one is saved. The important thing is not how many were saved, but for what purpose you did it. If you did it for God’s glory, God will definitely reward it. That is God’s promise to His servants. If you have given all for God’s glory then there is definitely not one thing that was wasteful.
Before there was a little church in Western Aizu Village in Fukushima prefecture. It was a church started by a missionary named Miss Palmer. Now the work is continuing as Keisen Christian Church’s Aizu chapel.
Miss Palmer worked in a London accounting office until 1961. After the war when the condition of missionaries was sporadic she received a letter from a missionary working in Japan saying, “Please come right away and help me!” She had the assurance that this was her Macedonian call, and answered the call. At that time she was 47 years old and thought that it was impossible for her to be a missionary to a foreign country, but she was given several passages of scripture and she had the assurance that it was the Lord’s calling and came to Aizu Wakamatsu. At the beginning she was a member of the Aizu Christian Fellowship and supported the other missionaries for 8 years. After that she returned to England for 1 year, but 1 year later dedicated herself to the Lord as a single missionary. In 1970 at the age of 56 she came again to Western Aizu Village. Miss Palma did anything in order to lead people to Jesus. There was only a little fruit. Then for 25 years until 1995 she never once returned to England but continued to serve in the Western Aizu Village. In 1995 at the age of 81 Miss Palma handed the work over to the Keisen Christian Church and returned to England. However, when the Keisen Christian church built a new church in Aizu, the first offering that was given was an offering from Miss Palma.
Miss Palma’s work was very small so in human eyes it may have seemed like nothing, but the Lord’s reward was great. In 2005 she went to heaven, but how great a reward she must have received! In human eyes it may have looked like she labored in vain, like she spent her “strength for nothing at all.” (4) However it wasn’t a waste. “My reward is with my God.” (4) Let’s remember that the Lord’s servant will receive such a reward.

III. By the Lord’s servant God’s salvation will reach to the ends of the earth (Vs. 5,6)
Lastly, let’s look at verses 5 and 6. “And now the LORD says-
he who formed me in the womb to be his servant
to bring Jacob back to him
and gather Israel to himself,
for I am honored in the eyes of the LORD
and my God has been my strength-
he says:
‘It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.’”
Here another commission of the Lord’s servant is recorded. That is “to bring Jacob back to him and gather Israel to himself.” (5) The number one commission of Jesus’s coming was to bring God’s people, the Israelites, back to God. When the tax collector Zacchaeus repented, Jesus said, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” (Luke 19:10) Just like a shepherd looks for his lost sheep and saves him, Jesus came to look for the lost sheep that had wandered away from God and save them.
However, that is not all. If you look at verse 6, it says, “he says:
‘It is too small a thing for you to be my servant
to restore the tribes of Jacob
and bring back those of Israel I have kept.
I will also make you a light for the Gentiles, that my salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.’” He will not just bring the Israelites back to God. He was sent as “a light for the Gentiles” (6) that God’s “salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” (6) He was sent not only for Israel, but as “a light for the Gentiles,” (6) as a light to the world so that God’s “salvation may reach to the ends of the earth.” (6) That was Jesus’s commission. That was the commission that was given to God’s servant, Israel. However, they failed to do this. They fell in to disbelief, rejected God, and didn’t receive their Messiah. More than that they put the Messiah on the cross and killed him. Then God gave that commission to the new God’s servant, the spiritual Israel, Christians. Christians have been given the commission to bring God’s salvation “to the ends of the earth.” (6)
In II Cor. 5:18-21 Paul says, “All this is from God, who reconciles us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men’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.”
“We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors.” (II Cor. 5:20) “An ambassador of Christ” (II Cor. 5:20) is a person who carries on the same work as Christ as Christ’s representative. Like Christ we too have been given “the ministry of reconciliation.” (II Cor. 5:18) This is tied to our commission to bring the lost to God. He has sent us out to bring reconciliation between God and sinners who are in a hostile relationship with God by faith in Jesus Christ through Christ. We must accomplish this “ministry of reconciliation.” (II Cor. 5:18) We need to be people who bring God’s salvation “to the ends of the earth.” (6) If we don’t, we too will like Israel lose God’s blessings. Like Israel too we will be scattered throughout the world, and go through various persecutions and struggles. It is amazing that they weren’t completely wiped out. It was only by the mercy of God that they weren’t. We need to remember why we are here, our commission, and then we must be people that live for that commission.
If we look at Acts 27, it is recorded that they didn’t listen to Paul’s warning. “When a gentle south wind began to blow,” (Acts 27: 13) Julius, the centurion, thought now was the time to leave, “so they weighed anchor and sailed.” (Acts 27: 13) Then “a wind of hurricane force, called the ‘northeaster,’ swept down’” (Acts 27:14) on them. Then for many days they were in the dark and they couldn’t eat anything. When they had lost all hope of being saved, Paul preached about the peace that God gives. “I urge

you to keep up your courage, because not one of you will be lost…Last night an angel of the God whose I am and whom I serve stood beside me and said, ‘Do not be afraid’…I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me.” (Acts 27:22-25)
This is what we have to proclaim. Now the world is really being hit by a “northeaster” wind of hurricane force and is like a boat with no hope of being saved. Only the Word of God can save us from the “northeaster” wind. We must preach this Word of God. That is why we are here. Jesus said, “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. (Matt. 5:14-16)
Let’s shine our lights before men. Let’s shine our lights before men, that they may see our good deeds and praise our “Father in heaven. (Matt. 5:16) That is why we have been sent. That is why we are here now.

Today’s message title is “Peace like a river”. Verse 18 says, “If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” The Lord teaches us what is best for us and leads us the way we should walk. If you pay attention to the Lord’s teachings, if you pay attention to His commands, then peace will flow to you like a river. Today I would like to talk about 3 aspects of this.

I. Listen to me (Vs. 12-16)
First please look at verses 12 to 16. Verse 12 says, “Listen to me, O Jacob,
Israel, whom I have called:
I am he;
I am the first and I am the last.
Here the Lord commands Jacob to, “Listen to me.” (12) They are to listen attentively to the new thing that is going to occur to Israel. That is because it is a very important thing. You can tell how important it is because three times it is repeated that they are to listen. That is in verse 12, 14, and 16. In verse 14 it says, “Come together, all of you, and listen.” In verse 16 it says, “Come near me and listen to this.”
What are the contents of what they are to listen to? Verse 12 says, “I am he; I am the first and I am the last.” This means that God never changes. God is the first and the last. By His “own hand” (13) He “laid the foundations of the earth,” (13) and His right hand spreads “out the heavens.” (13) In other words, God eternally never changes. By His Word the heavens and the earth were created and he controls all that he created. In this world there are many gods, but the Lord is saying that He is the real God. “I am he.” (12)
What is the evidence of this? Please look at verses 14 and 15. “Come together, all of you and listen; Which of the idols has foretold these things? The LORD’s chosen ally will carry out his purpose against Babylon; his arm will be against the Babylonians. I, even I, have spoken; yes, I have called him. I will bring him, and he will succeed in his mission.”
The evidence is that the Lord “has foretold these things.” (14) “These things” are that “The LORD’s chosen ally will carry out his purpose against Babylon;” (14) and also that “his arm will be against the Babylonians.” (14) “The LORD’s chosen ally” (14) is the Persian King Cyrus. That the pagan King Cyrus is called “The LORD’s chosen ally” (14) seems unfitting, but he is called this in the respect that he destroyed Babylon and set Israel free from captivity. King Cyrus was the Lord’s powerful “arm” (14) that performed the will of God.
Who ““has foretold these things”? (14) Not the pagan gods. “They have mouths, but cannot speak, eyes, but they cannot see, they have ears, but cannot hear, noses, but they cannot smell.” (Psalms 115:5,6) Only the true God can do that. “I am he.” (12) In other words, God who is the creator of the heavens and the earth, who controls history only is God. Just only God can foretell “these things” (14) and fulfill them as he foretold. This was actually fulfilled 150 years after Isaiah prophesized this. This didn’t occur by coincidence, but was performed by the work of God. This is what they are to listen carefully to and pay attention to.
Please look at the first part of verse 16. Here it says, “Come near me and listen to this.” They are not to just listen. They are told to “come near” (16) and listen. To “come near” (16) and listen is to listen well. It is to listen, concentrating on what is being said. God wanted Israel to listen well to His Words, and to look carefully at what is going to occur. This is not something that is just now beginning. It has been like that since way back when. God has spoken to them over and over again through the prophets telling them to listen well. However, the Israelites themselves didn’t listen at all. They weren’t attentive at all. Even if they heard, they didn’t concentrate on it at all. It went in one ear and out the other. The Words of God didn’t remain in their hearts.
Aren’t there times when we are like this too? Now the Lord is speaking to us by different methods, but we don’t accept the message as words spoken to our lives. We accept it only just as events that occurred in Israel’s history, or events of long, long ago, or as one myth. In many cases we don’t listen to it as words for living and as words to be put into our own actual life. We need to concentrate more on listening to God’s Word. We must come near to God and “listen to this”. (16)
Now, please look at the end of verse 16. Here it says, “And now the Sovereign LORD has sent me, with his Spirit.” Suddenly “me” (16) was sent. Suddenly “me” (16) appears. Who is this “me” (16)? Thinking in this context it is King Cyrus who was sent to set Israel free from Babylon. Also this King Cyrus is a pattern or type of Jesus Christ. In 45:1 Cyrus is called, “his anointed”. Therefore, this “me” (16) can be said to be Jesus Christ. This Messiah, Savior, Christ was sent by “the Sovereign LORD”. (16) The word here for “LORD” (16) is Jehovah so it is written in capital letters. “The Sovereign LORD”, (16) Jehovah, is the form used for God the Father. “The Sovereign LORD has sent me, with his Spirit.” (16) You probably realized it, but here all 3 persons of the trinity appear. In the Bible the word “trinity” does not appear, but its concept can be seen throughout the entire Bible. “The Sovereign LORD (The Father) has sent me (Jesus Christ), with his Spirit.(The Holy Spirit)” (16)

If you look at Matthew 3:16 and 17, when Jesus was baptized and went up out of the water, God’s Spirit descended like a dove and lightened on him. Then a voice from heaven was heard, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matt. 3:17) From here Jesus begins his ministry. The Father sent his Son, “with his Spirit.”
“I have called him, and he will succeed in his mission.” (15) Just as Jesus was faithful unto the cross and filled his mission of redemption from sin, Cyrus was “The LORD’s chosen ally” (14) and “will succeed in his mission” (15) of setting Israel free from Babylon. Israel was to listen to this. Also we must listen to the fact that Jesus was sent to this world of sin to set free all of mankind from sin. He is the Savior, the Messiah.

II. Your peace will be like a river (Vs. 17-19)
Next verses 17 to 19 say, “This is what the LORD says-
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
‘I am the LORD your God,
who teaches you what is best for you,
who directs you in the way you should go.
If only you had paid attention to my commands,
your peace would have been like a river,
your righteousness like the waves of the sea.
Your descendants would have been like the sand,
your children like its numberless grains;
their name would never by cut off
nor destroyed from before me.”
Here it is recorded, “If only you had paid attention to my commands.” (18) In other words, that if you listen to the Word of God, “your peace would have been like a river, your righteousness like the waves of the sea. Your descendants would have been like the sand, your children like its numberless grains.” (18,19)
“Peace” in “your peace would have been like a river” (18) is the Hebrew word “Shalom”. “Shalom” is a peace that includes happiness. It is complete peace with no defects. It refers to the condition of being completely filled with peaceful happiness. It is an ideal condition. That is Shalom. Such a peace will flow to you like a river.
There is an English Song, “Peace like a River”.
I’ve got peace like a river.
I’ve got peace like a river.
I’ve got peace like a river in my soul.
Isn’t this wonderful! This expression “like a river” (18) expresses a constant flow with no pauses or end. God’s shalom constantly flows onto our soul.

For that there is only one condition. That is we must pay attention to God’s “commands”. (18) We must pay attention and follow the Word of God. If so, “your peace would have been like a river…Your descendants would have been like the sand.” (18)
Abraham who was called “the father of faith”, was told by the Lord, “Leave your country, your people and your father’s household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing.” (Genesis 12:1,2) Then when Abraham just like these words say, left his country, and left for the land that God showed him, God blessed him greatly. Abraham is honored by the Jews, Christians, and Moslems as “the father of faith”. Now that is by over half of the world. He is honored that much for following the Word of God.
How about you? Do you listen to the commands of God and follow them obediently? Or do you think they aren’t for your benefit and they’re not important? Let’s praise God who teaches you what is best and leads you the way you should go and listen to that teaching and obey.

III. Flee from Babylon (Vs. 20-22)
Therefore, the conclusion is to “flee from Babylon”. (20) Please look at verse 20. Let’s read it together. “Leave Babylon,
Flee from the Babylonians!
Announce this with shouts of joy
and proclaim it.
Send it out to the ends of the earth;
say, ‘The LORD has redeemed his servant Jacob.’”
Here this says to the Israelites who were captured by Babylon to leave there, and to flee from there. That was because even though they heard that, there were some people who were staying there. Although God rose up King Cyrus to destroy Babylon and set them free, there were some people who attempted to stay there.
It may be unbelievable, but that is reality. Although God through Jesus Christ saved us from our sins, there are people who don’t leave them, and don’t flee. Your sins are forgiven. God performed the acts of salvation for you. God sent his son Jesus Christ to the world for you and died on the cross for you sins. He redeemed you from your sins. If you believe in Jesus as your Savior, all your sins are forgiven. That is the good news. That is the Gospel. Even so there are people who don’t believe in the Gospel and want to continue just as they are as slaves of sin. There are quite a lot of people like this who are content the way they are. That is really too bad.
Please look at verse 21. “They did not thirst when he led
them through the deserts;
he made water flow for them
from the rock;
he split the rock
and water gushed out.
This refers to the events of the Exodus. The liberation from Babylon is being described as the second Exodus. In the Exodus it was great that they left Egypt, but right away the Egyptian army pursued them and right before their eyes the Red Sea loomed large ahead of them. However, God made a dry road for them to pass through on. Also when they thought they might die from thirst in the desert where there was no water, the Lord “made water flow for them from the rock; he split the rock and water gushed out.” (21) In other words, the Lord who saved them from Egypt will without fail save them from Babylon. This is ultimately a model of the coming kingdom of heaven. In other words, the Lord who will save them from Babylon will save the people from suffering in their sins and without fail lead them to the kingdom of heaven.
However, no matter how wonderful the promise is, if you don’t believe it then there is no meaning. Even if they are told “Leave Babylon, flee from the Babylonians,” (20) if they stay under the control of Satan, continue just as they are as a slave of sin, and think that just want to enjoy life, and more than believing in God do as they please living freely, no matter how wonderful a promise it is, it has no meaning. What God says to such people is as it says in verse 22, “There is no peace…for the wicked.” You are free to believe or not to believe, but “There is no peace” (22) for those who don’t believe.
In April of this year MTC had their annual meeting and after that was the World Mission Conference. There this year too Rev. Akira Takimoto spoke. He spoke about a book the Rev. Oswald Smith wrote.
I forgot the name, but when a revival occurred in a Canadian town, the people in the town started going to church. Then all the people of the town came to the meetings. People were saved, repented of their sin, marital relationships were restored, robbery disappeared, and it became a wonderful town.
However, among them were people who weren’t happy about the revival. They were the owners of the taverns. They weren’t happy because the people who had come to the taverns and enjoyed drinking stopped coming to the tavern and quit drinking so it messed up their businesses.
So then a tavern owner got mad, “We must disturb and interfere a meeting!” He went to gangsters and asked them to disturb the meetings. The gangsters that he had hired barged into the meeting to disturb it, but while looking for a chance to do so, they became frightened by listening to the message.
“Ah, the way we are we’re going to go to hell! Oh, no” I repent. I will believe in Jesus!” Then they repented and believed in Jesus. How wonderful!

How wonderful it would be if such a revival came to Japan. However, the owner of the tavern was furious that the gangster members that he sent believed in Jesus so next he himself went to disturb and interfere the meeting.
He sat down in a center seat and waited for a chance to disturb and interfere. Then the messenger prayed, “Show me where I should speak today’s message from”, and the Lord said to speak from Isaiah 38:1. That passage is words spoken to Hezekiah. “In those days Hezekiah became ill and was at the point of death. The prophet Isaiah son of Amoz went to him and said, ‘This is what the LORD say; Put your house in order, because you are going to die; you will not recover.’” (38:1)
The literary style of the words that the Lord spoke, “; Put your house in order, because you are going to die” (38:1) are “You will definitely die”.
These are words that Prophet Isaiah spoke to Hezekiah who was King, but God told the preacher to speak these words. “Put your house in order, because you are going to die.”
However, the preacher thought that it would be difficult to preach on those words, but God said, “Speak”. Therefore, the preacher stood up, and he had just barely started to speak saying, “Let’s read tonight’s passage, ‘ Put your house in order, because you are going to die’” (28:1) when the tavern’s owner stood up and shouted, “What are you saying! Christ is a lie!” God doesn’t exist!” and the meeting was about to be completely spoiled. Everyone was concentrating on the man.
Just then the man’s voice came to a dead stop. As soon as he stopped, blood spurted out of his mouth, he collapsed and died.
Rev. Oswald Smith said that sometimes we don’t fear God, and even though we do something bad we think that God is love so He will forgive us, but if we continue to resist God, then we will die.
You are free to believe or not to believe, but those who don’t believe, that don’t pay attention to God’s command, this will be the result. You can’t buy peace by your own strength. No matter how much money you have, no matter what abilities you have, by your power you can’t win peace. In order to get peace, you have to just listen to God. You must listen to God who said, “Listen to me.” (12) If you listen to God, God will certainly teach you what is best and lead you on the path you should go.
The path is Jesus Christ. Jesus said, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) No one has peace except through Jesus Christ. If you don’t believe in Jesus Christ, you won’t have real peace. If you desire it, please stop useless effort, and let’s believe in Jesus. Then let’s “announce this with shouts of joy and proclaim it. Send it out to the ends of the earth.” (20) Jesus puts value on your belief.

Isaiah　４８：１－１１ “God who refines”

Israel becoming captive to Babylon is recorded about in this passage. Isaiah prophesized about it 150 years before it occurred. Even so, why was Israel destroyed by Babylon and taken as captives? That was because they were prideful. Even though they were the people of God, they turned their backs on God and lived however they wanted to live. They made idols and worshipped them. Therefore, God punished them by Babylon. God punished them not because He hated them, and not because He detested them, but to refine them. God loved them so He didn’t treat them as illegitimate children, but treated them as his own children. Today let’s look at the refining of Israel by God.

I. The external faith of Israel (Vs. 1-5)
First please look at verses 1 to 5. Verse 1 says, “Listen to this, O house of Jacob,
you who are called by the name of Israel
and come from the line of Judah,
you who take oaths in the name of the LORD
and invoke the God of Israel-
but not in truth or righteousness-“
Here it says, “house of Jacob”, “the name of Israel” and “the line of Judah.” (1) This is referring all to the same people. “Jacob” means deceiver or he who grasps the heel. This expresses Jacob’s carnal nature. This Jacob wrestled with God and overcame so he was called “Israel”. This says that this Israel came “from the line of Judah.” (1) “Judah” (1) was the fourth son of Jacob. His name means “a person of praise”. “From the line of Judah” (1) King David was born. From David’s descendants the Messiah, the Savior, was born. This is Jesus Christ. Therefore, here that they are called “house of Jacob”, “the name of Israel” and “the line of Judah” (1) expresses that they are legitimate Jews. At least they had a sense of pride. On the outside they thought that they were “from the line of Judah” (1), were “called by the name of Israel” (1) and were the chosen people of God.
However, they missed the most essential things. What they were missing were “truth” (1) and “righteousness” (1). “Truth” (1) is a heart that has an unchanging dependence upon God. “Righteousness” (1) is walking appropriately in the way of God. In other words they took oaths not in the name of other gods, but “in the name of the LORD” (1) and they invoked “the God of Israel,” (1) but even so the substance of their faith was not carried out. It was an empty faith.

What became of them is written in verses 3 to 5. “I foretold the former things long ago, my mouth announced them and I made them known; then suddenly I acted, and they came to pass. For I knew how stubborn you were, the sinews of your neck were iron, your forehead was bronze. Therefore I told you these things long ago; before they happened I announced them to you, so that you could not say, ‘My idols did them; my wooden image and metal god ordained them.’”
“The former things” (3) are the series of acts of God that occurred in Israel’s history. Especially here this refers to the events of the Exodus. That was “foretold” (3) by God. Then one day suddenly God acted, and the things that God had foretold “came to pass.” (3) The reason that God told them about these things before they happened was because if he didn’t they might say, “My idols did them; my wooden image and metal god ordained them.” (5) They were that “stubborn”. (4) While saying that they believed in the God of Israel, at the same time they had idols with them. Is that possible? That happens! While saying that we believe in God, at the same time we depend upon our own abilities. If we believe in our own knowledge, experiences and financial ability, that is worshipping idols at the same time as believing in God. They were just like that.
For example, by the almighty power of the Lord they were saved from Egypt. After that, they were led to the desert. When Moses climbed Mt. Zion to receive the 10 commandments, Moses didn’t come down off the mountain for a long time, so they got tired of waiting for him. Therefore, they said to Aaron, “Come make us gods who will go before us. As for this fellow Moses who brought us up out of Egypt, we don’t know what has happened to him.” (Exodus 32:1) They made a golden calf and worshipped it. That is not just them. Christians too are apt to be at the risk of committing the same sin. There are cases when while saying that we believe in the real God, at the same time we make our own gods.
Israel by this sin was destroyed by Babylon and was taken to Babylon as a captured people. Next they began to worship the gods of Babylon. Therefore, before God set them free from there, he “announced” (5) that He was going to do so. That was so they “could not say, ‘My idols did them; my wooden image and metal god ordained them.’” (5) They were that “stubborn”. (4) Verse 4 expresses this like this. “I knew how stubborn you were, the sinews of your neck were iron, and your forehead was bronze.” They were so stubborn that the sinews of their neck were iron and their “forehead was bronze.”(4) “Your forehead was bronze” (4) expresses how stubborn and stiff necked Israel was. No matter how much God’s prophecies were fulfilled, they doubted that God had fulfilled it, and went to the point of having the mistaken idea that the idols had done it.

They had become that “stubborn”. (4) They were “called by the name of Israel and” (1) came “from the line of Judah.” (1) They took “oaths in the name of the LORD and” (1) invoked “the God of Israel”, but even so their faith had no substance. It had no “truth or righteousness.” (1)
This is also a warning to us Christians. We believe in Jesus and are saved, and we might not worship the idols of the people of the world. However, there are cases when our faith is separated from our hearts. We are content with being saved, and without noticing it fall into a Christian life in form only. There is danger of being pulled to the gods that you make like the idols of the pleasures of this world, or the idols of your own fleshly desires.
Please open your Bibles to Matthew chapter 7. In verse 22 of Matthew chapter 7 many of those who will not be able to enter the kingdom of heaven in the Day of Judgment will say to the Lord, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?” In answer to these people Jesus will clearly say, “I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!” (Matt. 7:23) The reason is that “not everyone who says to” (Matt. 7:21) the Lord, “’Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of” (Matt. 7:21) God.
Therefore, Jesus said, “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (Matt. 7:24-27)
No matter how hard the storm blows, the house that is built on the rock does not move at all. This is the people who hear the Word of God and do it. God does not look at how much we do. What God look at is how faithful we have been before Him. Also how much we walked in the will of God.
Let’s read together Micah 6:8. “He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.
“To walk humbly with your God” (Micah 6:8) does not mean to walk a perfect life without making even one mistake. It is a life of obeying: following God, being supported by grace and even if you make a mistake in your life, by the grace of God, repenting. In the eyes of man, it is thought that a mistake in life simply represents failure. However, if you look at it from God’s eyes, it isn’t so. Therefore, even if you look at your past and you feel that your life has had no value, whenever God reveals a sin to you, each time repent, humble yourself, and walk with God. “Walk humbly with your God.” (Micah 6:8) Also let’s make God’s desire for us to walk in His will, our desire.

II. A new creation (Vs. 6-8)
Next please look at verses 6 to 8. “You have heard these things; look at them all,
Will you not admit them?
From now on I will tell you of new things,
of hidden things unknown to you,
They are created now, and not long ago;
you have not heard of them before today.
So you cannot say,
‘Yes, I knew of them.’
You have neither heard nor understood;
from of old your ear has not been open.
Well do I know how treacherous you are;
you were called a rebel from birth.”
Israel had looked “at them all.” (6) “At them all” (6) is up until now in Israel’s history everything that God has spoken about has all been fulfilled. They looked “at them all.” (6) Therefore, what is necessary for them to do is to “admit them”. (6)
Then God will tell them “new things”. (6) Those “new things” (6) “are created now”. (7) It is a new creation. That is directly a chain of acts of salvation by God in saving Israel from Babylon. No matter how much they heard the Word of God they were “stubborn” (4) and didn’t understand and lacked faith. However, the Lord didn’t destroy them, but is going to save them. Then God used the pagan Persian King Cyrus to fulfill this. This was the new method that God “created”. (7)
However, this is ultimately God’s acts of salvation from sin for all mankind. That was “created now.” (7) It is a new creation. God used a method that couldn’t be thought of to save us from our sins. That is the cross. God’s only sinless son took upon human form just like us and was born. He became the substitution for our sin and died on the cross. Three days later he rose again. Who could ever thought of this method! This is a method that no one except God could have thought of. This is the wisdom of God that no human person can imagine.
Paul talks about this wisdom of God in I Corinthians 1:18 to 25. “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written:

‘I will destroy the wisdom of the wise;
the intelligence of the intelligent will frustrate.’
Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.”
“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (I Cor. 1:18) This is something that cannot be understood by the wisdom of this world. Who would think that the words of the cross would be salvation! For the people of this world “the message of the cross is foolishness,” (I Cor. 1:18) “but to those whom God has called…Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.” (I Cor. 1:24) By a method that by our wisdom we wouldn’t be able to think of at all, God saved us. That is the one and only plan of God by which we are saved from our sin.
There are geese in South Africa. Geese are very strong and can live in areas that other farm animals can’t live and they were ever increasing. However, one day a large number of geese died. They researched the cause and it was found that one variety of grass that they always ate　made an abnormal amount of the substance, tannin, in their stomachs.
Actually the plants that they always eat have an interesting characteristic. About two minutes after animals come and start eating them, they produce a powerful substance, tannin. By not allowing the animals to eat more than that, the plants are protecting themselves. After eating for about two minutes, they go to the next grassy area, and again two minutes later they go to another place. Here and there they eat for about two minutes at each place. Therefore, over a large area a large amount of plants are needed.
However, one time the humane society to protect the geese from poaching made a fence around their home. Therefore, the geese’s, area of activity was limited. They couldn’t go here and there eating a little at a time. It couldn’t be helped, so what they did was to continue to eat the grass that produces tannin for over two minutes. Then tannin collected in their body and they died.

As a result the geese were destroyed because man made a fence to protect the geese. If they hadn’t made a fence, the animals and plants would have lived together and flourished together. Here is the limit to man’s wisdom. What you think is good and you do, at times threatens the other person’s life.
However, God’s wisdom is different. God’s wisdom is perfect. “For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” (I Cor. 1:25) “For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.” (I Cor. 1:18) God in order to save us thought of a method that we never would imagine. That was the cross and resurrection. That is the new creation.
Galatians 6:14 and 15 says, “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything; what counts is a new creation.”
This “new creation” (Gal. 6:15) can be said to be the new method that God made. It is the completely new method that mankind can’t even imagine. It is a completely unexpected method! That is the cross. That is “what counts” (Gal. 6:15) for us; “Neither circumcision nor uncircumcision means anything.” (Gal. 6:15) In order to save us God planned the method of our Lord Jesus Christ’s cross and resurrection. For “what counts is” (Gal. 6:15) to live following this criterion.
How about you? Are you following this criterion? Is there anything else other than “the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14) that you are boasting in? “What counts is a new creation.” (Gal. 6:15) Let’s boast “in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal. 6:14) Let’s walk following this criterion. That is a Christian.

III. God who refines you
Lastly, let’s look at verses 9-11. The Israelites were treacherous and were called a rebel from birth, but God didn’t destroy them. In verse 9 it says, “For my own name’s sake I delay my wrath; for the sake of my praise I hold it back from you, so as not to destroy you completely.” We might think that it is better to just destroy those who are treacherous from birth right away, but God didn’t. God continuously gives us blessings according to the promise given by His grace. Even though the Israelites rebelled against God, God delayed His judgment and made them realize it through His slight punishment.
Please look at verse 10. Here it says, “See, I have refined you, though not as silver; I have rested you in the furnace of affliction.” God used “the furnace of affliction” to purify the Israelites. What is “the furnace of affliction”? The furnace of affliction is a furnace that breaks their obstinate thoughts they have through affliction. Here it is talking about Babylon. God used Babylon to break their obstinate hearts. He made them obey God through their life as captives in Babylon.
In Deuteronomy 4:20 it says, “The Lord took you and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnace, out of Egypt.” Here it talks about the iron-smelting furnace, not the furnace of affliction Even though the kinds of furnace are different, the purpose is the same. Over 400 years of their life in Egypt was truly a life of discipline in the iron-smelting furnace. However, in the midst of their sufferings, they cried out to God and depended on Him. People tend to not cling to God unless they experience this kind of painful experiences. This is why God put them into Egypt’s imprisonment, and sent them into the iron-smelting furnace.
And now it is the furnace of affliction instead of the iron-smelting furnace. God made them cry out to Him and be obedient to Him in the midst of their affliction. What happened to the Israelites after they were saved from this furnace of affliction? After being able to return back to Jerusalem through King Cyrus, they hated idols and eliminated their marriage with the pagans. This was because those were things that God hated the most. We can see this by looking at book of Ezra and Nehemiah in the Bible. Because they went through this furnace of affliction, their obstinate hearts were broken and they were changed to be obedient towards God.
We are the same. We also tend to be arrogant like the Israelites. God sends us to the furnace of affliction or to the iron-smelting affliction in order to cleanse us. However, this is to punish us, and not to destroy us. It is to purify us. God loves us so much that He uses the furnace of affliction to work on us.
In Hebrews 12:5-6 it says, “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines the one he loves, and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son.”
God treats you as His child. Is there a father who wouldn’t discipline their child? If you are someone who hasn’t given the punishment that everyone else has gotten, then you are just an illegitimate child, and not a true child. Because we are God’s true child, He disciplines us to train us. If so, we should be thankful to God when He puts us through the furnace of affliction or through the iron-smelting furnace, and accept it as lashes of love from God. We should also accept what God has prepared as the training of our faith and be patient. Normally we are people to be punished by God for being disobedient towards Him. But we should be thankful to God for His generosity of waiting in patience for us to come back to Him. We should also be thankful to God for His patience of delaying His punishment because of His grace and compassionate promises. This is God’s patience and mercy that surpasses far our imagination.
The author of Psalms wrote, “It was good for me to be afflicted so that I might learn your decrees.” (Psalms 119:71) We too should confess like this. It was good for me to be afflicted. I learned your decrees. What is your affliction? What is the furnace of affliction for you? Those are lashings of love from God to train you. Let’s believe that and look up to God even in the midst of that affliction, and walk with Him in repentance.

The title of today’s message is “God opposes the proud”. In the passage that was read this morning a prophecy of the judgment on Babylon is written. Put in one word the reason that Babylon was destroyed was pride. James 4:6 says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” “God opposes the proud.” (James 4:6) Babylon was prideful so it was destroyed. In what ways was Babylon prideful? Today I would like to talk about three points of this.

I. Only I am special (Vs. 8,9)
First of all Babylon was prideful saying to herself, “I am, and there is none besides me.” (8) Please look at verses 8 and 9. “Now then, listen, you wanton creature,
lounging in your security
and saying to yourself,
‘I am, and there is none beside me,
I will never be a widow
or suffer the loss of children.’
Both of these will overtake you
in a moment, on a single day
loss of children and widowhood.
They will come upon you in full measure,
in spite of your many sorceries
and all your potent spells.”
“You wanton creature, lounging in your security” (8) is Babylon. They indulged in carnal pleasures and lived in idleness. “Loss of children and widowhood” (9) is a prophecy that Babylon will be destroyed. In the course of time, the Persian King Cyrus came and destroyed them. Babylon that was said to be impregnable will be destroyed in one day. Ｎo one ever thought that that the tall walls surrounding the City could be broken down and so they drank, and indulged in carnal pleasures, living in security. Their problem was that in their hearts they were saying to themselves, “I am, and there is none beside me.” (8) They thought they were special. Even though they weren’t, they assumed they were.
These words, “I am, and there is none beside me” are almost a claim of deity. Please look at Isaiah 46:9. Here it says, “I am God, and there is no other.” This is a declaration of God. In other words, these are the words of God. These words of God are used here by Babylon. In other words, they are saying that they themselves are really God.

Behind Babylon was the presence of Satan. Last week too we saw that if you look at Isaiah 14, Satan said, “I will make myself like the Most High,” (14:14) and was “brought down”. (14:15) He was originally the brightest angel. He was the “morning star” (14:12), Lucifer. This “morning star” (14:12) fell because he said, “I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will set enthroned on the mount of assembly on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.” (14:13, 14) He is stressing himself so he was “brought down”. (14:15)

In the same way “I” is being stressed by God. Isaiah 46:4 says, “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.” Here God is stressing “I”. I am the one who will rescue you. “I will carry you.” (46:4) “I am he” (46:4) Satan is saying the same thing. In other words, Satan is saying that he is exactly the same as God and is trying to make himself God. Babylon said, “I am, and there is none besides me.” (10) Babylon is self-centered, not God centered.
Self-centeredness is to think that you are absolute. It is to think that you are special. In reality that is the thinking of atheists. Atheists say that there is no God. They can’t believe in God. They believe only in themselves. However, no one other God can say this. Only God is able to exist by himself. God said, “I AM WHO I AM”. (Exodus 3:14) We can’t say this at all. We can’t breathe by ourselves, and we can’t move our heart by ourselves. We are a being that must depend upon the sun, water, food, and etc. which are all outside of ourselves to live. However, God can exist by only himself. Only by himself God can live eternally. Therefore, it is o.k. for God to be God centered. God is the one and only God. He can say, “I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me.” (46:9) Babylon stole these words and said them just as they are. That is the problem. How prideful! “A catastrophe …will suddenly come upon” (11) such prideful people. No matter how many sorceresses you go to, no matter how strongly you say magic spells, “A catastrophe …will suddenly come upon” (11) you.
During the American civil war, the Alabama 21st regiment put on the first protective uniform that was developed and triumphantly stood in front of the enemy’s soldiers. They called out to the enemy saying that if they had this type of protective uniforms then they would definitely not die. Just then, a bullet came flying and a soldier fell there. The enemy didn’t shoot at the chest where the soldier was wearing protective clothing, but at his head. The soldier was protected in one place and thought that by doing so that he was completely protected, but unfortunately as a result of his stupidity he lost his life.

To think that you lack nothing and so you don’t seek the Lord is being prideful. It is stupid. The Bible says to always recognize God. Step by step we mustn’t depend upon our knowledge and skills, but we must seek the Lord’s leading. To seek the Lord’s leading means to humble ourselves and put ourselves under God and to follow the Lord’s leading. In the Psalms it says, “Unless the LORD builds the house, its builders labor in vain. Unless the LORD watches over the city, the watchmen stand guard in vain.” (Psalm 127:1) In the end, whether people recognize God or don’t recognize God, God rules over everything. If God doesn’t help then it is meaningless. No matter how much man puts out effort, if God doesn’t do it then it is meaningless. Let’s humble ourselves below God’s hands. If we do that, at just the right time, God will raise us up.

II. No one sees me (Vs. 10 & 11)
Next, please look at verses 10 and 11. Babylon says to themselves, “No one sees me” (10) and trusted in their own wickedness.
“You have trusted in your wickedness
and have said, ‘No one sees me.’
Your wisdom and knowledge misled you,
when you say to yourself,
‘I am, and there is none besides me.’” (10,11)

Babylon trusted in their own wickedness and said, “No one sees me.” (10) Babylon had become this prideful because they didn’t fear God. Even though they didn’t fear God their wisdom and knowledge increased. This misled them. Proverbs teaches us that fear is the beginning of wisdom and knowledge. They didn’t fear the Lord so such wisdom and knowledge misled them.
We do bad things because we think, “No one sees me.” (10) We deceive and steal because we think, “No one sees me.” (10) If someone is looking we can’t do such things. When we think, “No one sees me,” (10) we commit many sins. Babylon thought, “No one sees me.” (10) and did whatever they wanted to do.
However, God sees everything. God who can’t see with his eyes, sees everything concerning you. He is able to see through to the insides of your heart. “Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.” (I Samuel 16:7) God knows the thoughts of our hearts. Please open your Bibles to Psalms 94:7 to 11. Here it says, “They say, ‘The LORD does not see;
The God of Jacob pays no heed.
Take heed, you senseless ones among the people;
you fools, when will you become wise?
Does he who implanted the ear not hear?
Does he who formed the eye not see?
Does he who disciplines nations not punish?
Does he who teaches man lack knowledge?
The LORD knows the thoughts of man;
he knows that they are futile.”
To think, “There is none besides me” (10) is a huge mistake. The Lord sees everything. The Lord looks out over everything. God sees everything about you. Another way of saying it is that even from before you were born God always looked out over you. Therefore, it is impossible to deceive God. Therefore, we must fear God. Daily fear God, be conscious of God, and honor God. To think, “There is none besides me” (10) is prideful. It is stupid. If we don’t know this, we will meet the disasters of verse 11.
However, in reverse those who fear the Lord will be blessed. Psalms 121:5-8 says, “The LORD watches over you-
the LORD is your shade at your right hand;
the sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm-
he will watch over your life;
the LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.”
“You” (5) is Israel. They are the people of God that have been redeemed by God so they will not be harmed. Also this is a promise for us Christians who have been redeemed by God. Those who believe in Jesus will never be harmed. That is because Jesus was harmed for us in our place.
“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)

Therefore, whoever believes in the Son of God “is not condemned.” (John 3:18) What a blessing! However, even if we are a Christian if in our hearts we think, “I am, and there is none besides me,” (8) then “Disaster will come upon you.” (11) In this case this disaster will be the work of reaping the sin that you sowed. Man must reap what he sows. When you drop a glass on the floor, the glass breaks and what was in the glass goes flying out and the carpet gets dirty. In the same way when a Christian sins, he is affected by his sin. The person may lose his family. He may lose his health. He may lose his name and respect. Like this our sin takes many things from us. Therefore, when we sin the person that suffers the most is the person who sinned himself.
Therefore, so this suffering (disaster) doesn’t happen to us, don’t trust in your wickedness saying, “No one sees me.” (10) Also don’t have prideful thinking like, “I am, and there is none besides me,” (10) We must reap what we sow. We must suffer the “disasters” of the sin we commit. However, God declares, whoever believes in Jesus Christ “is not condemned.” (John 3:17) We suffer from the consequences of our sin, but we will never be condemned or judged. Therefore, we must just fear God, honor God, and follow God.

III. There is not one that can save you. (12-15)
Let’s finish by looking at verses 12-15. “(12) Keep on, then, with your magic spells and with your many sorceries, which you have labored at since childhood. Perhaps you will succeed, perhaps you will cause terror. (13) All the counsel you have received has only worn you out! Let your astrologers come forward, those stargazers who make predictions mouth by mouth, let them save you from what is coming upon you. (14) Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves from the power of the flame. These are not coals for warmth; this is not a fire to sit by. (15) That is all they are to you –these you have dealt with and labored with since childhood. All of them go on in their error; there is not one that can save you.”
Babylon’s image is pictured here as trying to save themselves just through their own wisdom and knowledge, and through solutions by their own know how instead of being afraid of God. “The magic spells, which you have labored at since childhood.” are the magical practices that existed from a long time ago. The sutra from Buddhism is one of them. Reading sutras might calm you, but it won’t solve the real problem.
What about the counsel that is written in verse 13? There are a lot of counsels around us. Such are counseling, things that are said through TV and magazines, internet, things that other people say, and things that each specialists say. There are a lot of counsels, but do these help you? Unfortunately, even if we listen to that advice, most of the times things said are all different according to what you listen to, and you get confused not knowing what to listen to. There is a TV program called “Nainai answer”. It’s a program where people listen and give advice to one artist’s problem. There’s about 20 experts from different areas there, and they give advices from their own perspective, but there’s so many advices that you don’t know which advice to listen to. There are even times when there are two completely opposite advices. That kind of advice might just wear people out instead of helping them.
Then what about your astrologers, or those stargazers who make predictions mouth by mouth? This represents Babylon’s old astrology. Babylon is the place of origin for astrology. From there it was passed over to Greece, India, and China. Horoscope,
which is one kind of western astrology also started from here. ONMYODO, the way of yin and yang, which also was passed over from China to Japan also started originally in Babylon.
Even nowadays many people rely on these magic spells that have been passed on for many years. There are people who check their fortune-telling of the day through radio, TV, newspaper or magazines. Many people rely on blood type fortune-telling, animal fortune-telling, and things like lucky cards.
I had a meeting with the Baptist church group in Sendai, and in the train coming home, some high school people were talking about fortune-telling. They were saying that fortune-telling is always successful, so that they wanted to go there again.
But these things will not save you. Please look at verse 14.
Here it says, “Surely they are like stubble; the fire will burn them up. They cannot even save themselves from the power of the flame. These are not coals for warmth; this is not a fire to sit by.”
These magic spells and many sorceries, many counsels and stargazers which have labored during childhood will not save you. Rather, if you continue to rely on these things, it will bring bitter experiences to you. God is a God who judges strictly.
Then what should we do? At the end of Ecclesiastes it says, “(13) Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the duty of all mankind. (14) For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.” (Ecclesiastes 12:13-14)
Fear God. Obey God’s commandments. This is all a human being needs to do. God will judge those who think that they are special or those who are arrogant that they think they are more than others. God is a God who judges people who are arrogant, and a God who brings blessings to those who are humble. The only way for us to receive blessings is just to be humble towards God.
In I Corinthians 10:12 it says, “If you think you are standing firm, be careful that you don’t fall.” There are times when we feel like we are standing by ourselves even though it is through God’s grace and blessing that we are able to stand. In the Bible it says that God gives life to each one of us and God is the one who provides everything. Yet, there are times when we have times when we feel like we are doing everything by ourselves. How about you? Everything is through God’s grace. We must not think that we are able to stand through our own power. Of course there might be times when we do things by our own power, but we as Christians should remember that it is all through God’s blessings and grace that we are blessed.
At times when we are able to be so successful in life, that is all because of God’s blessings and grace, and therefore, we need to be careful to be thankful to God and those who support us. God judges people who are arrogant, but brings blessings to those who are humble.

Today I’m going to preach from the first half of Isaiah chapter 47. Here it talks about the fall of Babylon. Even though Babylon was said to be impregnable, why did it fall? Let’s find out why from looking at three points.

I. I will take vengeance (1~4)
Please look at verses 1~4. Verse 1 says, “Go down, sit in the dust, Virgin Daughter Babylon; sit on the ground without a throne; queen city of the Babylonians. No more will you be called tender or delicate.”

Here, Babylon is called “Virgin Daughter Babylon”. The reason why Babylon is called like this here is because it has never been invaded by a foreign enemy. The wall was 90m tall, 24m thick, each side was 24km long, and 96km long around. It was certainly an impregnable city. There was no enemy who could attack this impregnable Babylon. Babylon also had a different name, “Chaldean”.

This Babylon, also called “Chaldean” is told to “go down, sit in the dust”, and to “sit on the ground without a throne.” Sitting in the dust is often used to express sadness, but here it is used to lower their position. Sitting on the ground without a throne means that Babylon which ruled on the throne for a long time is moved to a vulgar seat. Why is Babylon like this? It’s because “You are not called tender or delicate anymore.”

“Tender or delicate daughter” refers to elegance of Babylon. Babylon was surrounded by tall walls with the Euphrates River flowing in the middle. In the center of the city, there was a tower called “Etemenanki”, which looked like the tower of Babel. Next to it, there was a nice temple sacred to a God of Babylon called “Marduk”. And there was also hanging gods of Babylon there which is one of the seven great mysteries of the world. Also, there was the famous Ishtar gate which was too beautiful to express in words. Here, such a beautiful Babylon is compared to a “tender or delicate daughter.” Eventually this beautiful Babylon will not be called tender or delicate daughter anymore. Because as it is said in verses 2 and 3 “take millstones and grind flour; take off your veil. Lift up your skirts, bare your legs, and wade through the streams. Your nakedness will be exposed and your shame uncovered”, Babylon eventually becomes the most vulgar woman slave. Taking millstones and grinding flour was a woman’s job. Taking off your veil was a cloth that noblewoman used to cover their faces. The Babylonians who became slaves do not need a cloth to cover their faces because it disturbs them when they grind flour. Lifting up your skirts and baring your legs refers to Babylon being destroyed, conquered, and taken to a hostile country by King Cyrus. Lifting up your skirts and being naked is to expose shame. Not only that, Babylonian’s clothes being taken off by the conqueror will bring shame. The Queen Babylon that enjoys gorgeousness and its luxuries falls down to the position of a vulgar woman slave.

Why does this happen? Please look at verse 3. Here it says, “I will take vengeance; I will spare no more.” God’s judges Babylon. God takes vengeance to those who afflict the Israelites who are God’s people.

Our God is a God who avenges. Please look at Psalms 94, verses 1~7. “(1) The Lord is a God who avenges. O God who avenges, whine forth. (2) Rise up, judge of the earth; pay back to the proud what they deserve. (3) How long, Lord, will the wicked, how long will the wicked be jubilant? (4) They pour our arrogant words; all the evildoers are full of boasting. (5) They crush your people, Lord; they oppress your inheritance. (6) They slay the widow and the foreigner; they murder the fatherless. (7) They say, “The Lord does not see; the God of Jacob takes no notice.”” and verses 22 and 23. “(22) But the Lord has become my fortress, and my God the rock in whom I take refuge. (23) He will repay them for their sins and destroy them for their wickedness; the Lord our God will destroy them.”

God repays them for their sins and destroys them for their wickedness. Remember that our God is a God who avenges. The reason why God does such a thing to the Babylonians is because of their wickedness. It is because they afflicted the Israelites who are Gods people and because they treated themselves arrogant as if they were God themselves.

Please remember, vengeance is what God does, not us. Because we don’t know everything, we might judge wrongly. However, God is so righteous that He can make right judgment in everything. Therefore, we are to commend the judgment to God.

However, this is said not only for those who harm us, that is, those who bring us these avenges or stir up our anger. It is true that our God avenges people who harm us. That is not only them, but He also avenges us. He has no mercy even on you. The first thing we need to focus on is how we are ourselves. If we sin against God, God avenges us for our sins. If God sees them as sins, then God judges it according to His righteousness. Otherwise, God’s righteousness will be distorted. God treats everyone equally.

But we don’t have to be afraid because we will never be judged anymore. The moment we believed in Jesus Christ, all of our sins have been forgiven. Our sins are all forgiven because Jesus was crucified on the cross and He received the judgment instead of us. We will never be judged. We are considered innocent. What a wonderful news this is. This is the gospel. Gospel is called “good news”, but this is surely “good news.” Therefore, we don’t have to be afraid even if God says He is going to avenge.

Let’s listen to God’s word of promise. Please look at John 5:24. “Very truly I tell you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me as eternal life and will not be judged but has crossed over from death to life.”

If you listen to God’s word and believe in Him, you will receive eternal life and will not be judged, but will cross over from death to life. Do you already believe in Him? Do you believe in Jesus Christ who carried all of your sins and was crucified and died on the cross instead of you? If you believe in Him, you don’t have to be afraid of anything. This word is given to those who have not believed in Him yet. Till we believed in Jesus Christ, we had to live our life in fears. We were like condemned criminal who had to wait for the judgment. That was what we were in the past. But we were relieved from that fear at the moment we believed Jesus Christ.

Let’s look at verse 4. “Our Redeemer –the Lord Almighty is his name –Is the Holy One of Israel.”

Our God is our redeemer. His name is the Lord almighty, the holy one of Israel. Do you know His name? Have your sins been redeemed by Him? Is He your Holy one? If you still don’t know Him, give yourself to Him and pray like this.

“Lord, I have just come to know you. You are the one who redeems my sins. Please forgive my sins. Please take all my sins away and cleanse me. I want to be loved, and not be judged.”

If you pray like this God redeems you and carries you all the time. As it said in Psalms 46 verses 3 and 4, even to your old age and gray hairs, He will continue to carry you. If you believe in Jesus Christ as your savior, then you will be saved. Then you don’t have to be afraid with what is written in Psalms 47:3.

II. It is just a tool (5~6)
Please look at verses 5 and 6. “(5) Sit in silence, go into darkness, queen city of the Babylonians; no more will you be called queen of kingdoms.”

Here Babylon is told to “sit in silence” and to “go into darkness.” “Go into darkness” is a symbol of judgment. That is to say that Babylon will be judged by God and will be destroyed. That’s because “no more will you be called queen of kingdoms.” This is the same as it is said in verse 1. It said in verse 1 that “No more will you be called tender or delicate.”, but here it is said that “No more will you be called queen of kingdoms.” When we think of a queen, Queen Elizabeth in England is very famous, but this presents a person having absolute power. Babylon used to be a queen with absolute power to conquer all countries, but it fell down to the position of a woman slave.

What was the problem? The answer is written in verse 6. “(6) I was angry with my people and desecrated my inheritance; I gave them into your hand, and you showed them no mercy. Even on the aged you laid a very heavy yoke.”

What does this mean? “My people” refers to the Israelites. Because the Israelites who were God’s people turned against God, God brought them to Babylonian’s hand to discipline them. However the Babylonians didn’t take pity on them, and even the old people carried a yoke. That is to say, even though Babylonians were God’s tool to discipline the Israelites who turned against God, they deviated from their position and arrogantly they went too far. Even though they were just a spank stick, they didn’t just stay at their position, but used that position to beat them up. Do you know a spank stick? It is a stick to spank people’s bottoms. It is a stick to punish a child who doesn’t listen to you. Even though it is just a tool of punishment, they went way beyond that, and did a cruel thing. So God dragged them down from their position and made them sit in silence and go into darkness.

This is not a problem just among the Babylonians. We also have a tendency to be like Babylonians, don’t we? We have times when we go too far that we are strict on others and behave roughly towards others. And we sometimes lack in mercy.

For example, in Japan we are familiar with the sentence, “the customer is always right”, but we don’t know how much this sentence is bringing unhappiness to people in Japan. This expression is used for the spirit of hospitality to treat the customer nicely like how you treat God, but the customer sometimes behaves as if he can say anything he wants, and can do anything he wants. On the other hand if you were to be a clerk, your customer will show the same attitude toward you. Our attitude changes according to where we stand.

However, I was surprised when I went to America and saw the people working at the supermarket. The clerks don’t bow their head and say “Welcome” as we see in Japan. You don’t know if they are thankful to the customers or not. If anything, sometimes they have a bad attitude as if we as customers have done something bad. But actually it is not so. Americans try to be individual and don’t try to go along with other people, but for Japanese, that feels kind of strange. On top of all that, the customer is the one who says “thank you” when they buy something. Of course, the store clerk also says “thank you” to that, but such behavior sometimes makes you think that the store will go out of business.
When I asked my wife about it when I got home, she said, “Of course! The store clerk served us, so it is natural for us to say thank you to them.” The customer is not particularly great. Both the seller and the buyer are equal, and there shouldn’t be any hierarchical relationship among the two. Yet, it is strange that we have times when we are arrogant or times when we just apologize to people. We have times when we say too much towards people, and lack in mercy if we aren’t be careful.

God said to the master who didn’t forgive the servant who borrowed ten thousand bags of gold, “Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant just as I had on you?” (Matthew 18:33). However, we should understand that we are just a tool and be merciful as people who are forgiven much by God. That is what Christ wants us to do.

III. Fools find no pleasure in understanding (7)
Let’s finish by looking at verse 7. Here it says, “You said, ‘I am forever –the eternal queen!’ But you did not consider these things or reflect on what might happen.”

What does this mean? “You” that is used here presents the Babylonians. The Babylonians were thought to be the eternal queen. This is completely from their pride. The Babylonians thought they will continue forever. They thought their lives of elegance like a queen would continue forever. They didn’t think of the end of their lives and went on their own way. If they thought more of what would happen if they continue to live a life like this, they might have been able to desist from doing so. But they didn’t consider what will happen if they continued to be arrogant and foolish, and they were absorbed in pleasure. They “did not consider these things or reflect on what might happen.” God judged the Babylonians. He dragged them down from the seat of the queen, had them sit in silence, and had them sit on the ground without a throne. In the Bible it says, “God opposes the proud but shows favor to the humble.” (James 4:6). Also it says, “Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.” (Proverbs 18:2). The most important thing in our life is to not be proud. You will lose blessings if you continue to be proud.

Why did morning star, son of the dawn fall from heaven? It’s because they were proud of themselves. In Isaiah 14:12~15 it says,
“(12) How you have fallen from heaven, morning star, son of the dawn! You have been cast down to the earth, you who once laid low the nations!
(13) You said in your heart, “I will ascend to the heavens; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of Mount Zaphon.
(14) I will ascend above the tops of the clouds; I will make myself like the Most High.”
(15) But you are brought down to the realm of the dead, to the depths of the pit.”

“Son of the dawn” is called “Lucifer” in Latin. Lucifer is an archangel who was the head of the angels. This Lucifer fell. It’s because he rebelled against God. In Ezekiel 28:12 it says here that he was “the seal of perfection”, and “full of wisdom and perfect in beauty.” He was fuddled with himself and was so proud. And he also tried to be like God by assigning himself to the throne of God. So God put him down. This is the beginning of Satan. Satan is not what God made, but is the angel who rebelled against God, who fell down because of his arrogance of wanting to become like God.

In English, there’s a word “pride” for the meaning of “haughty” or “arrogance”. It is spelled “P.r.i.d.e”. What is the alphabet in the center? It’s “I”. It is a sin and the essence of being arrogant, to be self-oriented instead of putting God in the center of your life. Lucifer entered the heaven, put his throne on top of God’s throne, and tried to be the utmost high person. This is why he was dropped.

Please remember that this is the stratagem of Satan. Satan’s stratagem is to let you be arrogant when you succeed. “That’s great. You are wonderful.” is what Satan will say to you. Babylonians too, they thought of being the eternal queen when they became like the queen of kingdom. They were absorbed in pleasure and lived in idleness. They didn’t think of what might happen, and didn’t humbly serve God. That was the problem. However, according to the Bible, “fools find no pleasure in understanding.” Being humble is very important.

In Genesis 16, it talks about the story of Abraham who eventually was called the father of the Jews. Abraham didn’t have children for a while. God promised Abraham that He will bless his descendants, but he didn’t have children even after he turned 80. His wife Sarah was a very beautiful woman. Wherever Abraham went, even when he went to Egypt, he asked Sarah to tell everyone that she was Abraham’s sister. However, even though he just got older and older, he never received a child at all. Then one day Sarah said to Abraham, “The Lord has kept me from having children. Go, sleep with my slave Hagar.” Abraham was a very religious man but agreed to what Sarah said. He slept with Hagar, and she conceived. However, when Hagar knew she was pregnant, she began to despise Sarah.
It is when people look down on someone that they get arrogant. Some people look down on people thinking that there’s nobody who is smarter than them, or that they are better than other people. To look down on people is a critical thing and it is being arrogant.
Sarah is the one who suggested Hagar to be Abraham’s wife. However, Hagar despised Sarah even though it was because of Sarah that she was able to get pregnant.
Because Hagar despised Sarah, Sarah got mad and said to Abraham, “You are responsible for the wrong I am suffering.” Abraham told her, “Do with her whatever you think best.” Then Sarah mistreated Hagar. So Hagar fled from her. After going through a wilderness and coming near a spring in the desert, God found Hagar and said, “Hagar, where have you come from?”
God doesn’t abandon even people who are arrogant. He calls out to those people. People might say “you can’t enter this house again” if you go against somebody. However, God said to Hagar, “Where have you come from, and where are you going?” She answered, “I’m running away from my mistress Sarah.” Then God said to her.

“Go back to your mistress and submit to her.” (Genesis 16:9)

The Lord says that if we submit, then we are blessed. It is important in our lives to submit ourselves. Don’t be arrogant. If you submit and humble yourself, you will be blessed. Let’s be humble and submit ourselves. Fools find no pleasure in understanding but delight in airing their own opinions.

In Isaiah there are many passages that people memorize and that continuously support and encourage them. For example, “Those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.” (40:31) is one of them. Also, “When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze” (43:2) is another. Also in today’s passage verses 3 and 4 are also one such passage.
Verses 3 & 4
These are really wonderful words！However when you ask people who love these verses and for whom these words have been a support for their lives, most of them don’t know what proceeds and comes before this passage. There are a lot of cases where this is loved as an independent text.
Today while considering the context, what proceeds and comes before it, I’d like us to experience the wonderfulness of this passage.

I. I will sustain you (Vs. 1-8)
First please look at verses 1 to 8. Here by comparing the real God and idols, it tells us how wonderful the real God is. First let’s read verses 1 and 2.
Verses 1 & 2
Here in verse 1 the names “Bel” and “Nebo” appear. These are names of the Babylonian idol gods. “Bel” (1) is another name for Marduk, the chief deity in Babylon. At that time in Babylon there were 50 gods, but the chief one was Marduk, “Bel”. (1) “Nebo” (1) was the god of learning and writing and was the son of “Marduk”. (1) There was a Babylonian King named Nebuchadnezzar. The god’s name was used in the King’s name. It means “God’s messenger”.
About these two gods here it says, “Bel bows down, Nebo stoops low; their idols are borne by beasts of burden. The images that are carried about are burdensome, a burden for the weary.” (1) In the course of time Babylon will be destroyed and the idols that they believed in will become a burden. In ancient times in the Near and Middle Eastern world they thought war was fighting between the gods of the nations. So when you lost in the war, you fled with your idols. This is what this is saying. In other words, the gods of idols “are carried about” (1) and the gods “are burdensome”. (1)

Then 150 years after Isaiah said this this was fulfilled. When Babylon was destroyed by the Persian King Cyrus these idols were “borne by beasts of burden” (1) and are carried away with their worshipers. Like this, when you are in a pinch, idols are of no use at all. Instead they “are burdensome, a burden”. (1) Idols are like this. Even so lots of people stoop and bow down and pray to these gods.
How about you? Are there any idols that you are bowing down to? As I have talked about before, the first commandment in the 10 Commandments is “You shall have no other gods before me. “ (Exodus 20:3) If you put anything in front of God, this is your god. If you put your job in front of God, or studying in front of God, or your friends in front of God, or your hobbies in front of God, those are idols. They are the same as “Bel” (1) and “Nero”. (1) Such things are all important, so they are not things that can be neglected, but no matter how important they are we must not put them before God. If we put them before God, then not only will they become an idol, but they will in the course of time become “burdensome, a burden” (1) and make you weary.
How is the real God compared to this? Please look at verses 3 and 4. Let’s read them together. “Listen to me, O house of Jacob,
all of you who remain of the house of Israel,
you whom I have upheld since you were conceived,
and have carried since your birth.
Even to your old age and gray hairs
I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”
In contrast to the idols who cannot save people and “they themselves go off into captivity” (2) being carried “by beasts of burden” (1) the real God has upheld you “since you were conceived” (3) and has carried you “since your birth.” (3)
Please open your Bibles to Jeremiah 31:3 too.
Jeremiah 31:3
Here this isn’t just “since your birth.” (3) Here it is “I have loved you with an everlasting love.” (Jeremiah 31:3) God’s love is “an everlasting love.” (Jeremiah 31:3)
What kind of love is “an everlasting love?” (Jeremiah 31:3) “? It is eternal. There is no sense of time. It is not controlled by the time of the past, present and future. It is always. God is always with you and loves you. There isn’t even a moment when he doesn’t love you. Up until now and from now on he will continue to love you. No matter how terrible a person you are, no matter how horrifying a sin you commit, he will definitely not change, but always love you. Rather, from the beginning he was fully aware of it and even so he continues to love you. This is God’s love. This is “everlasting love.” (Jeremiah 31:3) (Jeremiah 31:3) God loves us with this love.
Man is different. Man always puts conditions on love. If you are or do this, then I will love you. Therefore, we live always in fear of when a relationship is going to fall apart. However, God’s love is different. God always loves. God has “loved you with an everlasting love.” (Jeremiah 31:3) God has carried you.
What is interesting is the word “upheld” in verse 3. This is exactly the same word that is used in verse 1 that is translated as “burdensome”. In the previous context the idols “are burdensome, a burden.” (1) Here in verse 3 we are “burdensome”. In reality we “are burdensome, a burden” (1) for God. We are originally self-centered, and more than believing in God, and more than following God, we live like we want to and are selfish. Such mankind is of no use for God. He is nothing more than “a burden” (1) for God. Even so God uphold us and carries us. Then he took the burdensome burden of sin that we aren’t able to bear upon himself. This ultimately expresses the cross. God through His son, Jesus Christ, who by being put on the cross and dying in our place, he took upon himself all of our burdens.　So that “whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16)
Therefore, Jesus said, “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. “ Matt. 11:28.
Jesus died in exchange for you on the cross, so Jesus bore all your burdens so if you go to Jesus, your sin will be forgiven, and your burdens will disappear. Your tiredness will be healed, and your spirit can obtain peace. Like this you have been upheld. That compilation is the cross of Jesus Christ. Therefore if you come to Jesus, if you believe that he took upon himself your burdens of sin and bore them, then you will be saved.
That’s not all. If you look at verse 4, this will be the same from now on. “Even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you. I have made you and I will carry you; I will sustain you and I will rescue you.”
Do you have any gray hairs? There is no problem with having gray hairs, but one meaning is that it is a characteristic of older people and without realizing it they are losing strength. There will come a day when they don’t react to the pleasures of the world. In society too they are treated as worthless and unusable, and many feel lonely.
In Japan the average life span is the highest in the world, but by the progression of change to nuclear families, the insecurity of old age is increasing. There is no guarantee that we will be able to be fine not depending upon any one and financially o.k. until we die. 　
However, the Creator God who made the heavens and the earth, the real God promises “even to your old age” (4) to uphold you and “sustain you.” (4) This is not just a guarantee for your future life, but it is also assurance that in the severe last years of your life God will be with you and take care of you.
Why God can say that is given in the first word of verse 4, “even.” God has upheld you “since you were conceived.” (3) He has carried you “since your birth.” (3) God has always upheld you and carried you and “even to your old age and gray hairs I am he, I am he who will sustain you.” (4) From now on too God will always uphold you and carry you just has he has up until now. In other words, God who never changes who up until today without fail has carried you in perfect grace will from now on too care you in the same way.
There is the poem, “Foot prints”. You have heard it many times, I think. All Christians can relate to it. This is because we think that up until now we have walked all alone, but we realize that in reality that is not so. The Lord walked with us. He upheld us. Then we are given confidence that in the future too in the same way he will watch over us.
Foot prints
One night a man had a dream. He dreamed he was walking along the beach with the Lord. Across the sky flashed scenes from his life. For each scene he noticed two set of footprints in the sand, one belong to him and the other to the Lord.
When the last scene of his life flashed before him, he looked back at the footprints in the sand. He noticed that many times along the path of his life there was only one set of footprints. He also noticed that it happened at the very lowest and saddest times of his life.
This really bothered him, and he questioned the Lord about it. “Lord, you said that once I decided to follow You, You would walk with me all the way; but I have noticed that during the most troubled time of my life there is only one set of footprints. I don’t understand why You would leave me during the times when I needed You most.”
The Lord replied, “My precious child, I love you and I would never leave you. During your times of trial and suffering, when you see only one set of footprints, it was then that I carried you.”
God has upheld you “since you were conceived” (3) and had carried you since birth. Even when you were struggling the most, even at the hardest times, he did not forsake you or abandon you, but watched over you. From now on too he “will sustain you.” (4) “Even to your old age and gray hairs…he…will sustain you.” (4) The Lord will sustain you and carry you.
Please look at verse 8. Let’s read it together. “Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels.”
“This” (8) is thought to be what has been said up until now. In other words, the idols are gods that “are carried about”. (1) In contrast the real God “will carry you”. (4) We must “remember this”. (8) That is because if we don’t know this, if we don’t realize

this, our hearts are always moved and can’t stand firmly. Those who “remember this” (8) can always stand firmly in the Lord. Have assurance that the Lord is God, “and there is no other” (9) and can live depending only on this God.
Are you still depending on your own thinking and your own abilities? Have you been pulled by the world and is your heart lost? Please “remember this.” (8) Let’s stand firmly in faith in this God.

II. My purpose will stand (Verses 9-11)
Next please look at verses 9 to 11. “Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come, I say; My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please. From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose. What I have said, that will I bring about; what I have planned, that will I do.”
Here, the Lord says, “Remember the former things.” (9) This is Israel’s chain of past history. Especially this refers to the events of Israel being saved from Egypt. This says to remember this. That is because by remembering the former things, we can have hope. This is the hope that they will be saved from Babylon. Israel in former times experienced amazing grace. For 430 years they lived in Egypt as slaves, but by the great acts of God they were set free.
However, as time passed, they forgot God’s grace, and began to serve the idols around them and they lost their strength, were weary, and were eventually destroyed by Babylon, and were driven away from their country. Next they were captured by Babylon and taken away as captives. There was no hope. What they needed to do was “Remember the former things” (9) and what God had done for them. They needed to “Remember the former things” (9) and how much mercy God had shown them. They were to do this because by doing so they would receive hope. The hope that the same Lord would set them free from Babylon would be given.
We are the same. There are times when we are put in a situation where we are captured by Babylon. We can’t see the future at all. There are times when we have lost all hope. At such times what we need to do is “Remember the former things.” (9) How has God shown you mercy? Remember what great things God has done for you. Jesus died in your place to save you. Even though we are worthless and so deeply sinful that we deserve to be abandoned, Jesus died on the cross for us and saved us from our sin. We must remember this. There are some people here who have just been saved recently. There are some who were saved in the last few years. Still others have been

saved for 20, 30, 40, 50 or more years. No matter how recently or how long ago it doesn’t matter we always need to remember this and return to our first love. If so, then we will be able to overcome our difficulties and continuously have hope.
Please look at verse 10. It says, “I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come, I say; My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.”
“My purpose” (10) and “all that I please” is God’s plan to save Israel which was captive to Babylon. God’s purposes “will stand, and” (10) God “will do all that” (10) He pleases.
Verse 11 tells how God “will do all that” (10) He pleases. “From the east I summon a bird of prey; from a far-off land, a man to fulfill my purpose.” “A bird of prey” are birds like eagles or hawks which quickly catch their prey. This refers to King Cyrus. At this time King Cyrus hadn’t been born yet. He appeared on the stage of history 150 years after this prophecy was declared. While King Cyrus still hadn’t been born yet, while Israel was still captive to Babylon, God spoke about how Israel will be saved from Babylon. God planned to use King Cyrus to destroy Babylon and save Israel. What God has said, He will “bring about.” (11) God also made a plan to save all mankind. That is the cross. God’s only son, Jesus, was put on the cross and died, and three days later rose again was God’s plan “from the beginning, from ancient times.” (10) God’s purposes “will stand.” (10)
Also God has a plan for your live and God will fulfill that plan. If that is the case, then we can see that to put our life in the hands of God who holds our future is the most blessed thing.
How about you? Are you concerned about tomorrow? Jesus said not to worry about your life: what you are going to eat, what you are going to drink or about your body, what you are going to wear. Your life is more important than food and your body is more important that clothes. Jesus said to look at the birds of the air. They don’t plant seeds and they don’t harvest. They also don’t store up food. However, our Father in Heaven feeds them. Also look at the lilies of the field. They don’t work, but our Father in Heaven takes care of them. Therefore, won’t God take even greater care of you? You are a child of God saved by the everlasting love of God. God will do what is best you, His child. What you need to do is “Remember the former things, those of long ago.” (9) Remember what God has done for you and then leave all in His hands.

III. My righteousness is near (Vs. 12 & 13)
Lastly, let’s look at verses 12 and 13. “Listen to me, you stubborn-hearted,
you who are far from righteousness.
I am bringing my righteousness near,
it is not far away;
and my salvation will not be delayed.
I will grant salvation to Zion,
my splendor to Israel.”
“You stubborn-hearted, you who are far from righteousness” (12) are the same as the “rebels” of verse 8. In other words this refers to the Israelites who have ignored God’s warnings, have turned their backs on God, and who have lived self-centeredly. They haven’t listened to God and haven’t followed Him so they were destroyed by Babylon and have become a captive people. However, amazingly God declares to such people, “I am bringing my righteousness near.”(12) Even though they are “stubborn-hearted…far from righteousness” (12), and “rebels” (8) and as a result were punished and are captives to Babylon, God declares, “I am bringing my righteousness near, it is not far away.” (12) That is because God’s “salvation will not be delayed.” (12) It will go according to plans. No matter how “stubborn-hearted” (12) man is, no matter how much he ignores God, God’s plans will be fulfilled. It will not be too late or too early, but in God’s best timing, it will be fulfilled in superb timing.
We have a second nature of self- centered thinking so if something is delayed we get panicky thinking, “why didn’t he do something about this sooner,” or “if it continuous like this, everything will be spoiled,” or “It’s all over!” God doesn’t panic. According to His plans, God’s work of salvation quietly progresses. “Salvation will not be delayed” (13) nor will it come too quickly so if you trust in God you won’t be shaken up, or get panicky and you will be given perfect peace.
Even if we are “stubborn-hearted…far from righteousness” (12), or “rebels” (8), God will have mercy on us. Of course, it doesn’t mean that its o.k. to remain a rebel. It doesn’t mean that it’s o.k. to be stubborn-hearted. However, even if you are such a person, God comes near and brings His righteousness near. If God didn’t come near and bring his righteousness near, then we would be eternally in the dark and eternally damned. Even though we are “stubborn-hearted…far from righteousness” (12), and “rebels,” (8) God came near us and brought his righteousness, salvation, to us.
This can be seen in the parable of the prodigal son in the Gospel of Luke. The son who received half of his father’s inheritance in advance and used it up as if money was growing on trees had nothing to eat and was hungry to the point that he wanted to eat the pig’s food. Then he came to his senses and thought about his father who had lots of servants that were given more bread than they needed to eat. Therefore, he thought he would go back to his father and apologize to his father and ask him to let him be one of his servants because he didn’t deserve to be his son any more.

Then he returned to his father. He was dragging his feet, but when he was still far away “his father saw him, and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw his arms around him and kissed him.” (Luke 15:20) Then the father dressed him in his best robes, put a ring on his finger and put shoes on his feet. Then he joyfully said “Bring the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate. For this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.“ (Luke 15:23,24)
God is really a God that runs to us. The father said, “this son of mine was dead.” (Luke 15:24) A dead person does not get up and start walking around on his own. A dead person can’t come near someone on his own. 2,000 years ago Jesus came down from heaven and lived among us. He didn’t commit any sins, but he became just like us. He experienced our pains, sadness, and hardships. In addition he bore all our sufferings on the cross and died. God came near and saved us. This is grace, isn’t it? Before we sought God, God sought us. Before we loved God, God loved us.
God took the initiative. We are deeply sinners and helpless creatures. We can’t save ourselves. If God doesn’t come near us, if God doesn’t work we are only headed towards damnation. Ephesians 2:1 says, “You were dead in your transgressions and sins“ God came to us even though we are the same as a dead person. Jesus came near us and saved us from death. He gave us life to live eternally, eternal life.
Here the salvation is the salvation from Babylon captivity, but spiritually this is salvation from sin. Just as Israel was saved from Babylon and returned to Jerusalem, we too are saved from sin and are able to return to heaven, Jerusalem. “It is not far away; and…salvation will not be delayed.” (13) God has come near you. You need only to accept the salvation that is being offered to you. If so, you too will be able to receive that righteousness.
“Remember this, fix it in mind, take it to heart.” (8) If so you will be able to stand firmly. God who upheld you “since you were conceived” (3) and has carried you “since your birth. Even to your old age and gray hairs…will sustain you.” (3,4) From now on God will continue to do the same for you. God will set you free from all chains. “It is not far away” (13) Let’s travel the road of life with this hope.

Today’ title is from verse 22. “Turn to me and be saved.” If we “turn to” (22) God, we will be saved. That is because the Lord is God. “there is no other god.” (14) Today I would like to talk about three things concerning this.

I. God who has been hiding himself (Vs. 14-17)
First please look at verses 14 to 17. First I will read verse 14.
Verse 14
In the passage before this the prophecy that the Lord will anoint Cyrus and the Israelites will be set free from Babylon is spoken. That was so that all people will know that the Lord is God. When they see such a great act before their eyes, the Gentiles and all the people on the earth will see these great acts, and they will recognize that “there is no other god.” (14) and they will bow to the God of Israel. Egyptians, Ethiopians, and also the “tall Sabeans“(14) will become the Lord’s people. They will recognize the Lord’s authority. They will say that the Lord is God and “there is no other, there is no other god. “ (17)
Please look at verse 15. Here it says, “Truly you are a God who has been hiding himself, the God and Savor of Israel.” This is an interesting expression. God does more than humans can ever comprehend. Who would ever think that God would use King Cyrus, a pagan, to set Israel free from Babylon! However, God like this works far above what we think. God doesn’t just use Christians. God uses people who aren’t Christians, and people who still don’t believe in God. God might even use people who are hostile towards God to perform his own acts. Really God “has been hiding himself.” God uses everything for his purpose and to fulfill plans.
Therefore, as it says in verses 16 and 17,　“All the makers of idols will be put to shame and disgraced.” However, Israel is not like this. Israel “will never be put to shame or disgraced, to ages everlasting.” “Israel will be saved by the LORD, with an everlasting salvation.” (17) will definitely never be shamed. That is promised to us too. If we look at the intertwined conditions that are full of intricacy that we can see with our eyes, at times we may become discouraged. We may have no hope feeling helpless so we lose desire to do things. However, if we know that in our background God is always working more than we ever thought and if you “turn to” (22) God, we can have victory.
A father gave his child who had just entered elementary school a difficult problem. “If you can put this world map that was torn into little pieces together within 10 minutes, I’ll buy you some delicious snacks.” Since the map was torn into little pieces

the father thought that even if he had an hour it was beyond his child’s ability. Besides the child had just entered elementary school so he hadn’t memorized the entire world map so from the beginning it was an impossible problem.
However, in less than 5 minutes his child with a triumphant air brought the map with all the pieces together. How was he able to put all the pieces together?
When the father asked him how he did it, the child answered, ”It was very easy! On the back of the map was a face. I just looked at that and put it together. Therefore, buy me some snacks!”
Our lives are at times like this torn up world map. Our life is like a tangled cobweb. We don’t know what to do. However, God is “a God who has been hiding himself.” (15) In our background God rules over everything and leads. If we look to Him, depend upon Him, we can find hope in the midst of a tangled cobweb life.

II. A righteous God and a Savior (Vs. 18-21)
Please pay attention to verses 18 to 21. Verse 18 says, “For this is what the LORD says-he who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth, he founded it; he did not create it to be empty, but formed it to be inhabited-he says: “I am the LORD, and there is no other.”
God who works in hidden places “created the heavens…and made the earth, he founded it…formed it to be inhabited.” (18) “Empty” (18) is the same word that is used in Genesis 1:2. “The earth was formless and empty.” The word means being in chaos or confusion. Therefore, God with intention made it into good order. God’s intention was that it “be inhabited”. (18)
God “fashioned and made the earth…to be inhabited.” (18) God “did not create it to be empty” (18) or purposeless. God made it so man could live there so he made it into good order. If you look at the order of the creation of the heavens and earth, you can see this too.
First of all God made light and divided the light and darkness. Then he made the skies. He made the heavens. Then he made the land and the seas. God gathered the waters below the heavens into one place and made dry places. That was the earth. Then there God planted plants and fruit trees that bear fruit each according to its kind. That was the third day. Then God on the fourth day made the sun, moon, and stars. Then God made the animals that live in the ocean and the birds that fly in the sky. That was on the fifth day. Then on the sixth day God made the creatures on the earth. God made the domestic animals, “all the creatures that move along the ground,” (Genesis 1:25) and the wild animals. Then after that God made man. God made man to be like God, in the image of God.

Looking at this the world that God made is in good order and logical. God made the heavens and earth in this way so that man could live there. Soon my daughter will have a baby. I heard her say that so whenever the baby is born it will be o.k. she changed the curtains, redecorated the room, prepared a crib, prepared diapers, etc. So that the baby can be born at any time they prepared everything that the new born baby will need for living. In the same way God before he made man, God made and prepared everything that is necessary for man to live. God had that special purpose when he made the heavens and earth and definitely didn’t make them by chance. Moreover man didn’t evolve from monkeys. Also man didn’t evolve from a very small microbe 38 billion years age either. Man was made by God for a specific purpose. God is “the LORD, and there is no other.” (18) “He who created the heavens, he is God; he who fashioned and made the earth…formed it to be inhabited” (18) is the real God.
Please look at verse 19, “I have not spoken in secret,
from somewhere in a land of darkness;
I have not said to Jacob’s descendants,
‘Seek me in vain.’
I, the LORD, speak the truth;
I declare what is right.”
This is interesting. In verse 15 God is “a God who has been hiding himself,” and here God says, “I have not spoken in secret, from somewhere in a land of darkness.” (19) “A God who has been hiding himself”(15) has not hidden his plans and has clearly revealed them. God doesn’t use a method that can’t be understood like fortune telling or spiritualism to talk. God uses clear and definite word, the Bible, to tell us His will. The Lord says just as the Bible reveals to seek Him. God is really a God of truth. He declares “what is right.” (19) Also what God speaks without not even one exception everything he says happens as He says. This proves that he is really God.
Next please look at verses 20 and 21. “You fugitives from the nations” (20) are　not only the people of the Jews, but those of other nations that were by Cyrus released out of captivity in Babylon．God says to these people, “Gather together and come; assemble.” (20) They are to assemble to debate about who is the real God. They have put their expectations in idols who cannot save them who cannot help them. God is telling such idol worshipers to show their evidence. Who can “declare what is to be”? (21) Who foretold about King Cyrus “long ago, who declared it from the distant past? Was it not I, the LORD?” (21)

I have talked about this many times, but Isaiah prophesized this 150 years before this happened. God “foretold this long ago.” (21) God declared and foretold what was going to happen. Moreover, God foretold concretely and precisely. Even though God prophesized it, there were no mistakes. What God says is a real prophecy and will be fulfilled 100%. The God who like this can precisely declare is the real God. “There is no God apart from” (21) the Lord. The Lord is “a righteous God and a Savior;　there is none but” (21) but the Lord.

III. Turn to me and be saved. (Vs. 22-25)
As a conclusion God says this in verse 22, “Turn to me and be saved,
all you ends of the earth;
for I am God, and there is no other.”
This is calling not only the peoples of the nations that were by Cyrus released out of captivity in Babylon, but to all the people at all “ends of the earth”. (22) This is God, himself’s invitation of salvation. “Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth.”(22) How are you responding to God’s invitation of salvation?
In the 19th century the biggest church in the world, the Metropolitan Tabernacle Church, was pastured by Charles Haddon Spurgeon who was converted by this passage. Later in a message that he gave, he testified about his conversion saying,
“ For years, as a child, I tried to learn the way of salvation; and either I did not hear it set forth, which I think cannot quite have been the case, or else I was spiritually blind and deaf, and could not see it and could not hear it; but the good news that I was, as a sinner, to look away from myself to Christ, as much startled me, and came as fresh to me, as any news I ever heard in my life. Had I never read my Bible? Yes, and I read it earnestly. Had I never been taught by Christian people? Yes, I had, by mother, and father, and others. Had I not heard the gospel? Yes, I think I had; and yet, somehow, it was like a new revelation to me that I was to ”believe and live.” I confess to have been tutored in piety, put into my cradle by prayerful hands, and lulled to sleep by songs concerning Jesus; but after having heard the gospel continually, with line upon line, precept upon precept, here much and there much, yet, when the Word of the Lord came to me with power, it was as new.
When, for the first time, I received the gospel to my soul’s salvation, I thought that I had never really heard it before, and I began to think that the preachers to whom I had listened had not truly preached it. But, on looking back, I am inclined to believe that I had heard the gospel fully preached many hundreds of times before, and that this was the difference,–that I then heard it as though I heard it not; and when I did hear it, the message may not have been any more clear in itself than it had been at former times, but the power of the Holy Spirit was present to open my ear, and to guide the message to my heart….

I sometimes think I might have been in darkness and despair until now had it not been for the goodness of God in sending a snowstorm, one Sunday morning, while I was going to a certain place of worship. When I could go no further, I turned down a side street, and came to a little Primitive Methodist Chapel. In that chapel there may have been a dozen or fifteen people. I had heard of the Primitive Methodists, how they sang so loudly that they made people’s heads ache; but that did not matter to me. I wanted to know how I might be saved, and if they could tell me that, I did not care how much they made my head ache. The minister did not come that morning; he was snowed up, I suppose. At last, a very thin-looking man, a shoemaker, or tailor, or something of that sort, went up into the pulpit to preach. Now, it is well that preachers should be instructed; but this man was really stupid. He was obliged to stick to his text, for the simple reason that he had little else to say. The text was,–‘
LOOK UNTO ME, AND BE YE SAVED,
ALL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH.
Isaiah 45:22KJV
He did not even pronounce the words rightly, but that did not matter. There was, I thought, a glimpse of hope for me in that text. The preacher began thus:–‘
‘My dear friends, this is a very simple text indeed. It says, ‘Look.’ Now lookin’ don’t take a deal of pains. It ain’t liftin’ your foot or your finger; it is just, ‘Look.’ Well, a man needn’t go to College to learn to look. You may be the biggest fool, and yet you can look. A man needn’t be worth a thousand a year to be able to look. Anyone can look; even a child can look. But then the text says, ‘Look unto Me.’ Ay!” said he, in broad Essex, ”Many on ye are lookin’ to yourselves, but it’s no use lookin’ there. You’ll never find any comfort in yourselves. Some look to God the Father. No, look to Him by-and-by. Jesus Christ says, ‘Look unto Me.’ Some on ye say, ‘We must wait for the Spirit’s workin’.’ You have no business with that just now. Look to Christ. The text says, ‘Look unto Me.’ ”
Then the good man followed up his text in this way:–
do ”Look unto Me; I am sweatin’ great drops of blood. Look unto Me; I am hangin’ on the cross. Look unto Me; I am dead and buried. Look unto Me; I rise again. Look unto Me; I ascend to Heaven. Look unto Me; I am sittin’ at the Father’s right hand. O poor sinner, look unto Me! Look unto Me!”
When he had gone to about that length, and managed to spin out ten minutes or so, he was at the end of his tether. Then he looked at me under the gallery, and I daresay, with so few present, he knew me to be a stranger. Just fixing his eyes on me, as if he knew all my heart, he said,
”Young man, you look very miserable.”
Well, I did; but I had not been accustomed to have remarks made from the pulpit on my personal appearance before. However, it was a good blow, struck right home. He continued,
”and you always will be miserable–miserable in life, and miserable in death,–if you don’t obey my text; but if you obey now, this moment, you will be saved.”
Then, lifting up his hands, he shouted, as only a Primitive Methodist could do,
”You man, look to Jesus Christ. Look! Look! Look! You have nothin’ to do but to look and live.”
I saw at once the way of salvation. I know not what else he said,–I did not take much notice of it — I was so possessed with that one thought.. There and then the cloud was gone, the darkness had rolled away, and that moment I saw the sun; and I could have risen that instant, and sung with the most enthusiastic of them, of the precious blood of Christ, and simple faith which looks alone to Him. Oh, that somebody had told me this before, ”Trust Christ, and you shall be saved.”…
This happened when Spurgeon was 16 years old. He clearly understood how a miserable sinner is saved and was converted. That is by looking (turning) to Christ. Looking to Christ is believing. Those who believe in Jesus are all saved. Those who look to (turn to)Jesus on the cross are saved. All you have to do is look to Jesus. All you have to do is believe. Then you will be saved. This is the Gospel. This is the good news. This was declared by God as the way for us to be saved “from the distant past” (21) ever since the first man Adam fell to sin.
Therefore, when Israel complained and grumbled in the desert and when they complained to Moses, the event occurred where God sent venomous snakes and many of the people were bitten by them and died. What they needed to do to be saved was to make a bronze “snake and put it on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live.” (Numbers 21:8) In the Bible bronze is a symbol of judgment. The snake is a symbol of sin. Therefore for the bronze snake to be put on a pole expresses sin being judged. This symbolizes Jesus Christ being hung on the cross. . In John 3 Jesus himself said that referred to him. “Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life.” (John 3:15)
In order to be saved from sin, we must look at (turn to) Jesus. This is the good news. Jesus bore your sins in your place. He has already died on the cross. Then to show that this is really true, Jesus rose from the dead. If you believe this, you too will be saved from sin, and receive eternal life. That is because “if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9)
Spurgeon lived a miserable live. It was an empty life. No matter how hard a person works in life, no matter how interesting it is, no　matter　how　crazy a life he lives, it will someday be finished by death. Then that is a completely an empty life. However, there is a life that doesn’t end when you die. That is eternal life. If you have that life, there is no fear of death.
Lastly let’s look at the end of verse 23 to verse 25. “Before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me, ‘In the LORD alone are righteousness and strength. All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame. But in the LORD all the descendants of Israel will be found righteous and will exult.”
“Christ Jesus; who, being in very nature God did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, He “made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being formed in appearance as a man, he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross!” (Phil. 2:6-8) That is so “that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of God.” (Phil. 2:10,11)
This is not only the descendants of Israel. Here it says, “All who have raged against him.” (24) “All who have raged” (24) are those who don’t believe in Jesus at all. They are the people who think that there is no God. It says that such people too will all some day come before God, and bow down to him and “confess the Jesus Christ is Lord.” (Phil. 2:11)
However, there is a difference in the manner. Those who believe in Jesus and are saved of their sins will with joy and exultation will confess, “Jesus, you are our Lord”, but the people who aren’t like that, those people who don’t believe in Jesus “will come to him and be put to shame” while they say “that Jesus Christ is Lord.” (Phil. 2:11)Even those who die not believing in Christ will end the too confess “that Jesus Christ is Lord.” (Phil. 2:11) What type or kind of person are you? Do you believe in Jesus and with joy and exultation confess “that Jesus Christ is Lord”? (Phil 2:11) Or while raging against Jesus, “will come to him and be put to shame” while you say “that Jesus Christ is Lord”? (Phil. 2:11)
“Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth.” (22) If you turn to Jesus, at that moment you too will “be saved.” (22) “Now is the time of God’s favor, now is the day salvation.” (II Cor. 6:2) When you die, it is too late. Now, believe and be saved. Then in the course of time when you bow before God, you will with joy and thankfulness confess “that Jesus Christ is Lord”? (Phil 2:11)