カテゴリー: Isaiah

Today let’s start Isaiah chapter 45. Today I would like to talk about leaving everything to the will of God.

Ｉ. Cyrus, the anointed (Vs. 1-3)
First please look at verses 1 to 3. Verse 1 says, ”This is what the LORD says to his anointed, to Cyrus.” Cyrus was as I said last week the King of the Medo-Persian Empire which destroyed the Babylon Empire. About Cyrus it says, “His anointed” (1) “Anointed” is in Hebrew “Messiah”. It means “Savior”. He was a Pagan, but he was called “His anointed.” (1) That was because he set Israel free from its captivity in Babylon. God used the pagan King Cyrus to save Israel. How Cyrus will save Israel is written in verses 1 to 3. Let’s continue reading from where we left off. “whose right hand I take hold of to subdue nations before him and to strip kings of their armor, to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut; I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron. I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.”
Here it tells us how he will destroy Babylon and describes what it will be like. “Whose right hand I take hold” (1) means that God is going to bring Cyrus onto the stage of history and that Cyrus will rule by God’s authority. “To subdue nations before him” shows that Cyrus will destroy Midia, Lydia, new Babylonia and unify the Mesopotamia. “To strip kings of their armor” (1) means that the kings will lose their strength. Just as these words say, this actually happened to the last king of Babylon, King Belshazzar. If you look at Daniel 5 you will see, but when he “gave a great banquet”, (Daniel 5:1) “suddenly the fingers of a human hand appeared and wrote on the plaster of the wall.” (Daniel 5:5) The king’s “face turned pale and he was so frightened that his legs became weak and his knees were knocking.” (Daniel 5:6) Also “to open doors before him so that gates will not be shut” is that the Babylon wall that was called an Impenetrable wall and it was thought that it was impossible for it to fall will be opened. As I explained last time the town of Babylon was surrounded by a wall that was 90 meters high and 24 meters wide so to break down the wall was unthinkable. However, the Lord gave Cyrus wisdom and showed him a novel way. Cyrus and his army dried up the Euphrates. They diverted the Euphrates into a canal so that the water level dropped, which allowed them to march directly through the river bed to enter the city at night and with no problem killed the Babylon King who was drunk at a party. Without shedding any blood and in only 1 day Babylon was over thrown. That is what this verse refers to.
Verse 2 “I will go before you and will level the mountains; I will break down gates of bronze and cut through bars of iron” is the same thing. It is a prophecy that Babylon which was called an Impenetrable wall and it was thought that it was impossible for it to fall will be broken into small pieces. Also verse 3 says, “I will give you hidden treasures, riches stored in secret places.” Usually when you lost in war so that you won’t be plundered you hide your treasures and riches in secret places so that they won’t be found. However, God will make it so Cyrus will find the hidden treasure and riches stored in secret places. Among the treasures will probably be the sacred things from the temple that the Babylon King Nebuchadnezzar brought back from the temple in Israel. Such treasures will all be given to Cyrus and then given back to Israel.
Why will God do such things for Cyrus? Cyrus didn’t believe in Israel’s God. He believed in Zoroastrianism, which the Persians believed in so he believed in a pagan god. The reason why God poured out oil and anointed Cyrus is written in verse 3. “So that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name.” That is so Cyrus will know that God is “the LORD, the God of Israel.” (3) For that reason God is going to the extent of using a Pagan king. In order to perform his plan, He doesn’t just use God’s people. In some cases he uses pagans, non-Christians. If God wants to use someone or something, He can do it. That’s because the Lord wants all men to know that he is the Lord, the ruler of all, the creator.
In reality when Cyrus knew this I think he must have been very surprised. Please open your Bibles to Ezra 1:1 to 4.
Ezra 1:1-4
Here it says, “the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia.” (Ezra 1:1) There are many things in history, especially in the Jew’s history that can’t be explained. This is one of them. Why would the pagan king, Cyrus take such a generous policy towards the Jews? Especially since he didn’t receive any bribes from the Jews nor by doing so he wouldn’t profit at all. It was just that “the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia” (Ezra 1:1) so he allowed the Jews to return to the land of their ancestors, and build God’s temple. He even called the people to provide “silver and gold, with good and livestock, and with freewill offerings for the temple of God in Jerusalem.” (Ezra 1:4)
There was Jewish historian that lived in the same age, Josephus Ben Matityahu. In the book, he wrote “Antiquities of the Jews” , he said “This was known to Cyrus by his reading the book which Isaiah left behind him of his prophecies; for this prophet said that God had spoken thus to him in a secret vision: “My will is, that Cyrus, whom I have appointed to be king over many and great nations, send back my people to their own land, and build my temple.” This was foretold by Isaiah one hundred and forty years before the temple was demolished. Accordingly, when Cyrus read this, and admired the Divine power, an earnest desire and ambition seized upon him to fulfill what was so written; so he called for the most eminent Jews that were in Babylon, and said to them, that he gave them leave to go back to their own country, and to rebuild their city Jerusalem, and the temple of God, for that he would be their assistant, and that he would write to the rulers and governors that were in the neighborhood of their country of Judea, that they should contribute to them gold and silver for the building of the temple, and besides that, beasts for their sacrifices.” In other words, when he knew that 150 years before he was born that Isaiah had prophesized and that moreover in that prophecy his own name was written, “the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia.” (Ezra 1:1) Just like it is written here, Cyrus contributed to the rebuilding of the temple in Jerusalem. Until then Cyrus only thought that by his own strength he had beaten and controlled the surrounding countries, but in reality that was not so. In the background was God who controls all of history. When he knew that he was being used by God for God’s purposes and plans, he knew that the Lord is God. Therefore, he had such a generous policy toward the Jews. That was because “the LORD moved the heart of Cyrus king of Persia.” (Ezra 1:1)
God controls and leads history. If you know this, like Cyrus your heart will be moved, and will be used for the purpose of God’s glory. If not, then you will be shaken by the situations that you face.
Naomi who appears in the book of Ruth was like this. Her name “Naomi” means “pleasant”. However, when she returned to her hometown Bethlehem, she said to the women of the town, “Don’t call me Naomi…Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.” (Ruth 1:20) “Mara” means “bitter”. The reason she said this was Naomi lived with her husband, Elimelech, in Bethlehem. However, because of famine they moved with their two sons, Mahlon and Kilion, to the country of Moab.
However, while they lived there, her husband, Elimelech, died. She must have been so lonely and helpless having lost the man of the house. Then her two sons married Moabite women. “After they had lived there about ten years, both Mahlon and Kilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.” (Ruth 1:4,5) Naomi didn’t know how she was going to be able to live, but she heard “that the LORD had come to the aid of his people by providing food for them.” (Ruth 1:6) Therefore, she decided to return to Bethlehem. She told her two daughter-in-laws to return to their mother’s home. One of the daughter-in-laws, Ruth, said, “Your people will be my people and your God my God” (Ruth 1:16) and refused to listen to Naomi. So Ruth went with Naomi to Bethlehem. However, Naomi who couldn’t see her future said to the women of town, “Don’t call me Naomi…Call me Mara, because the Almighty has made my life very bitter.” (Ruth 1:20)

What was the problem? Certainly “Naomi was left without her two sons and her husband.” (Ruth 1:5) She was insecure. However, the biggest problem was that in such realities, she couldn’t see God.
From the very beginning leaving Bethlehem itself was the problem. That is because to leave the promise land of Israel means to leave the faith. Ruth 1:1 says, “In the days when the judges ruled, there was a famine in the land, and a man from Bethlehem in Judah, together with his wife and two sons, went to live for a while in the country of Moab.” “In the days when the judges ruled” (Ruth 1:1) was a time in Israel’s history that was full of apostasy, moral degradation, and oppression. In Israel’s history it was the time when faith was the coldest. In the midst of this she was not able to see God. She wasn’t able to see that God is controlling all of history and that God is leading according to His purposes. That was the problem.
However, the merciful God brought a turning point into her life. That was Boaz. Her daughter-in-law, Ruth went to glean in the fields of Boaz’s was the start. Boaz redeemed Ruth and married her. As a result, from his lineage David who was said to have been the greatest king in the Old Testament was born. Also from his descendants came the King of the entire world, our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. Who could have thought that would happen! That was just what God had planned. This was God’s plan to carry out the fulfillment of His own purposes.
God also has a plan for your life and is leading you. You may not know what the purpose is, but it is certain that in the back ground God is there and is leading according to His perfect plan. You must believe this. Then the Lord will move your heart and you will be used for the glory of God.

II. The all sovereign God (Vs. 4-8)
Next let’s look at verses 4 to 8. I will read to verse 6. “For the sake of Jacob my servant, of Israel my chosen, I summon you by name and bestow on you a title of honor, though you do not acknowledge me. I am the LORD, and there is no other; apart from me there is no God. I will strengthen you, though you have not acknowledged me, so that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no other.”
The thing that we should be surprised about the salvation of Israel by Cyrus is that even though Cyrus did not acknowledge the Lord, the Lord bestowed on him “a title of honor”. (4) This “title of honor” (4) is “his anointed” (2) that we looked at earlier. The reason why the Lord bestowed on him “a title of honor” (4) is recorded in verse 6. “So that from the rising of the sun to the place of its setting men may know there is none besides me. I am the LORD, and there is no other.” If you look at the book of Daniel, you will see that Babylon King Nebuchadnezzar was also the same. When Babylon was destroyed by the Medo-Persian Empire, the King of Babylon was Belshazzar, and his father was King Nebuchadnezzar. He too worshipped the Babylonian God Baal. However, through David he knew that Israel’s God is the real God. Then he “praised the Most High…honored and glorified him who lives forever.” (Daniel 4:34) I don’t know if he believed in the God of Israel or not. However, that the king of Babylon, which was the leading world power at that time, would know that the God of Israel was the real God and would acknowledge that is really surprising. Like this the God of Israel makes it known throughout the entire world, “I am the LORD, and there is no other.” (6) In the same way, the Persian King Cyrus who ruled the entire world, by setting Israel free from Babylon, showed the entire world that the God of Israel is the real God.
Please look at verse 7. Here it says, “I form the light and create darkness, I bring prosperity and create disaster; I, the LORD, do all these things.” Here God says that He forms the light and creates the darkness. God says that He brings prosperity and creates disasters.
In the background of these words is the influence of the Persian religion, Zoroastrianism. Zoroastrianism believed in dualism. The universe is light and dark, good and evil, spiritual and natural. Zoroastrianism keeps two attributes separate as two different concepts. The world was created in dualism. According to the Zoroastrian story of creation, Ahura Mazda, the Zoroastrian god, existed in light in goodness above, while Angra Mainyu existed in darkness and ignorance below. They have existed independently of each other for all time, and manifest contrary substances. Ahura Mazda created things with good attributes. Ahura Mazda created things with bad attributes. The same thing cannot be both good and bad. However, that is not so. Both light and darkness, both good and evil, both the spiritual and natural were created by God. God brings “prosperity and creates disaster.” (7) All these things were made by God. God is “the LORD, and there is no other.” (5)
However, God does not create all disasters. Many disasters are allowed by God or are the result of our sin. For example, Job was struck by Satan, lost his family, and lost his health. His possessions were also lost. However, God allowed that. One time Satan came to God and said, “Stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.” (Job 2:5)　Then the Lord said, “Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.” (Job 2:6) God allowed Satan to strike Job. Satan couldn’t strike Job on his own. Because God allowed it, Satan was able to strike Job.
Things like this occur in our life. There are times when we meet situations when he ask, “Why, Lord!” For example, when we get sick, have a huge accident, lose our job, someone dies, etc. However, what we have to remember is that behind all events in the background God is there. Even those things God allows. God controls all things. He is sovereign. We must remember this and then pray for healing and recovery. We desire that “if it is possible, may this cup be taken from me.” (Luke 22:42) We desire to be healed of our sickness and to have peace. However, such sickness too are also used as a part of God’s plan. God formed the light and created darkness, God brings prosperity and creates disaster. God controls everything. In prosperity and in adversity everything is given for God’s purpose. We need to accept it as God’s sovereign treatment and pray like Jesus, “Yet not as I will but as you will.” (Luke 22:42) We should believe that God’s will is the best and pray seeking for God’s glory to be shown.
Please look at verse 8. “You heavens above, rain down righteousness;
let the clouds shower it down.
Let the earth open wide,
let salvation spring up,
let righteousness grow with it;
I, the LORD, have created it.”
Here describes God’s righteousness and salvation raining down upon the entire world. Here it says, “I, the LORD, have created it.” (8) This righteousness and salvation is not brought by our actions. The Lord has created it. It is brought about by God. The Lord saves us terrible sinners. Salvation is from the Lord. It is brought about by the one-sided grace of the Lord. It is the same as when Israel was save from Babylon. Israel could definitely not have been saved from Babylon by their own wisdom or strength. It was only by God’s one sided mercy, by His absolute power. By using the unbeliever, King Cyrus, by a surprising method it was brought about. That was so that they would definitely not be saved by their own strength. They were saved completely independently of their actions. It was by the work of God’s one sided mercy. Salvation is of the Lord. The Lord has created it. God is sovereign and controls everything. What is necessary for us is to recognize the Lord’s sovereignty, and leave all in the Lord’s hands.

III. “Leaving it to the will of God”
Lastly, let’s look at verses 9 to 13. When this was said, there were some people who complained about how God does things. They didn’t want to recognize God’s authority. They raised an objection to what God did. Please look at verses 9 and 10. “Woe to him who quarrels with his Maker,
to him who is but a potsherd among the potsherds on the ground.
Does the clay say to the potter,
‘What are you making?’
Does your work say,
‘He has no hands?’
Woe to him who says to his father,
‘What have you begotten?’
or to his mother,
‘What have you brought to birth?’
These words are quoted in Romans 9. In Romans 9 it is written why the Lord chose Jacob instead of Esau. God chose him “before the twins were born of had done anything good or bad” (Romans 9:11) so that his election would not be by works, desires, or effort but by the mercy of God. However, when Paul spoke about this doctrine of election, there was an opinion that God is unjust to elect on the basis of his sovereign freedom. Paul used this Isaiah passage towards the people who had such an opinion saying, “But who are you, O man, to talk back to God? Shall what is formed say to him who formed it, ‘Why did you make me like this?’ Does not the potter have the right to make out of the same lump of clay some pottery for noble purposes and some for common use?” (Romans 9:20,21)
For the Jews, there were some people who weren’t satisfied that they were saved by Cyrus. They must have wondered why they had to be saved by a person who didn’t even believe in God. If we are in a situation where a person who isn’t a Christian is deeply involved in Christian ministry, we might have the same feelings. However, God does not just use Christians, but also uses non-Christians. God controls everything so he freely moves us according to his own purposes. We must not oppose God with things like “why?”
That is just like a man talking back to God. The Lord is the potter. We are nothing more than the clay. As the potter kneads the clay, we don’t yell out, “What are you doing?” We just let the potter work freely. It is strange for us to say anything. The potter spins it around because he thinks it’s necessary. It is strange for the pottery to complain about what the potter is doing. Israel is just the clay. We are nothing more than the dust of the earth that has been made into the likeness of God. When the clay is shaped by the poster then it has value. If not it’s nothing more than a lump of clay. God doesn’t love us because we have value. God love us one way so we have value. We must remember that we are nothing more than a lump of clay. For the clay to say “Why are you kneading me?” or “What are you doing?” is strange. However, we often do such things. “I won’t allow what’s happening in my life to happen!” “God why are you doing that?” We quickly complain. However, God is your potter. You should think that God is going to do what’s best for you. Before you complain, you need to think about what God did for you. God gave his life for you on the cross. His hands were pierced by nails and his side was pierced by a sword. Don’t forget that the potter’s hands that kneads you have the marks of the nails. The Lord who loves you will definitely not do anything but what is the best for you. You must believe this and pray, “Yet not as I will but as you will.” (Luke 22:42)
Paul said, “God…set me apart from birth and called me by grace.” (Gal. 1:15) Paul in the past persecuted Christians and did terrible things. He was also involved in the killing of Stephen. I don’t know why Paul was chosen, but it wasn’t because of his abilities. That is because no knows if a person has abilities or not before birth. However, God chose him before his birth. No one knows why he was chosen. Only God knows. God knows everything and he called him as an apostle. That was not to show his greatness but by God using such a stupid person God’s name is praised.
We are the same. I don’t know why God saved you or saved me. However God chose you in Christ to be saved before you were born, before the foundations of the earth. That is so the God’s name will be praised through you.
We are really “Donkeys” (stupid). However at the climax of Jesus’ life he used a donkey, not a horse. The disciples said, “The Lord needs it.” (Luke 19:34) and brought the donkey to Jesus and put Jesus on it. Let’s respond to the calling of God. Let’s put all in the hands of God who controls all and respond by praying, “Yet not as I will but as you will.” (Luke 22:42) When we do that even a small donkey will be used for God’s glory.

God prophesized that Israel who was captive to Babylon would be set free and the Jerusalem would be rebuilt.

I. I will not forget you (Vs. 21,22)
First of all, please look at verses 21 and 22. “Remember these things, Jacob,
For you, Israel, are my servant.
I have made you, you are my servant;
Israel, I will not forget you.
I have swept away your offenses like a cloud,
Your sins like the morning mist.
Return to me,
For I have redeemed you.”
Here the Lord says to Jacob, “Remember these things.” (21) “These things” (21) are more than all the things that he had said up until now. They are the things that follow. The last part of verse 21 and verse 22 say, “Israel, I will not forget you.
I have swept away your offenses like a cloud,
Your sins like the morning mist.
Return to me,
For I have redeemed you.” (21, 22)
These are moving words, aren’t they? The Lord said to Israel, “Israel, I will not forget you.” (21) If you look at what is just before this you will see what Israel was like at that time. Even though they were redeemed by the Lord, they made idols and worshipped them. They selfishly deceived God. Toward them who were like that He says, “Israel, I will not forget you.” (21) This is really amazing grace! Also this morning God is saying the same thing to you. “I will not forget you.” (21) Even if by yourself you make an image of god and worship it, even if you forget god and lives selfishly, God is saying, “I will not forget you.” (21) These are great words!
Here it says, “I have swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist.” (22) This is in the perfect tense. God has completely “swept away your offenses.” (22)　He completely redeemed you. To sweep away your sins is to forgive your sins. To redeem is to pay the price and buy you back. God through Jesus Christ paid the price for your sins and redeemed you. Jesus was put on the cross and paid the price for your sins that you had to pay so you don’t need to worry about your sins. All of your sins have been forgiven. All the sin you have committed, all the sin you are committing now, all the sin you will commit in the future, all your sin is forgiven.　When Jesus was on the cross he said, “It’s finished”. Jesus in your place with his life made the payment for your redemption. Therefore, it is not necessary to have a guilty conscience or worry about wrong doings. What you must do is “return to” (22) God. Repent of your sin and depend upon Jesus. If you believe in Jesus your Savior who died for you and saved you from your sins, then all your sins will be forgiven. Please look at I John 1:7 to 9.
I John 1:7-9
“If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9) That is because “the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin.” (I John 1:7) You can’t atone for your own sin. You can’t save yourself. It is only by the blood of Jesus that we can be cleansed of all sin. God did this. God has “swept away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist.” (22) God has “redeemed you.” (22) He has finished the work of salvation and has forgiven your sins. The only other thing that is left to do is for you to return to God. God said, “Return to me.” (22) If you return to God, God will sweep “away your offenses like a cloud, your sins like the morning mist.” (22)
Now on T.V. they are doing a drama entitled, “The cloud’s staircase”. The hero that appears in the drama, Sanro Aikawa, was originally a secretary at a medical clinic on a sparsely populated island. He was asked by the head of the clinic to assist with surgery. As the result of doing so, even though he didn’t have a doctor’s license he began doing medical practice. Then he operated and saved the life of the daughter of the assistant head of a large hospital in Tokyo. As a result he marries her and rose up the ladder to the assistant head of the hospital, but he always has anxieties. He always is worrying about what happens if people find out he doesn’t have a doctor’s license. However, he thought that he can’t go backwards, so he continues to climb the cloud’s staircase. When I look at this drama, I always think, man can always start over again. Now is not too late. Now if you return to God, any person can start over again. God will forgive you. That’s because God paid the price by Jesus’ cross and redeemed you. God “will not forget you.” (21) You must not forget that God redeemed you from your sin and made you his child.

II. Sing for joy (Vs. 23)
Please look at verse 23. Here it says, “Sing for joy, you heavens, for the LORD has done this; shout aloud, you earth beneath. Burst into song, you mountains, you forests and all your trees, for the LORD has redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in Israel.”

The “heavens”, the “earth beneath”, the “mountains”, the “forests”, and the “trees” that are mentioned here in verse 23 are all creations that God made. God is commanding such creations to “Sing for joy…shout aloud…Burst into song.” (23) That is because “the LORD has done this…for the LORD has redeemed Jacob, he displays his glory in Israel.” (23) “This” (23) is the amazing work of salvation that He does through Israel. That exceeds Israel’s salvation, and influenced the entire natural world too. That God redeemed Israel was such a huge work. It was such a huge event that human history is divided into two parts, B.C. and A.D. with that event as the dividing point.
How do you respond to your redemption and to God’s work of salvation? Are you taking it seriously, or do you feel like you just happened to come to church and believed in Christ?
Before I had 2 turtles. One day one of the turtles wouldn’t eat anything at all and wasn’t moving. The other lively turtle was climbing on top of his back. He was pushing him so I was afraid for him. I wanted to find the reason so I opened the lid of the aquarium and looked at the weak turtle. Then I realized that his eyes were diseased. He had white spots on his eyes and he couldn’t see. He was unstable hitting things as he moved. I felt sorry for him and took the strong turtle off of him and gave the weak turtle food so it could at least eat a little.
I think that is what we are like. Our eyes are covered by scales, but when the Lord redeems us and the scales fall off we can see well.
The Lord redeemed Israel and the Lord redeemed you is such a great work that the heavens and the mountains sing. Let’s in response to this great salvation of God join in the singing with the heavens, mountains, and trees and sing from our hearts.

III. God’s plan that will be accomplished (Vs. 24-28)
Lastly let’s look at verses 24 to 28. First look at verses 24 and 25. It says, “This is what the LORD says-your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb: I am the LORD, the Maker of all things, who stretches out the heavens, who spreads out the earth by myself, who foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who overthrows the learning of the wise and turns it into nonsense.”
The Lord is the creator God who made the made the whole creation, everything in heaven and earth. God all by himself made the heavens and the earth. God “foils the signs of false prophets and makes fools of diviners, who overthrows the learning of the wise and turns it into nonsense.” (25) The “false prophets…diviners…the wise” (25) refer to the priests, diviners, and wise men in Babylon. They were proud that they inherited the traditions of the Sumerians who built the Mesopotamian civilization which is the oldest human civilization. They believe in their religion and divining, and especially in astrology. However, God “foils the signs of” their “false prophets and fools” their diviners, and “overthrows the learning of” their wise men “and turns it into nonsense.” (25)
However, towards Israel God is not like this. Please look at verse 26. It says, “who carries out the words of his servants and fulfills the predictions of his messengers, who says of Jerusalem ‘It shall be inhabited’, of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be built,’ and of their ruins, ‘I will restore them.’
God will carry “out the words of his servants and fulfills the predictions of his messengers.” (26) God “overthrows the learning of the wise” (25) and the diviners of Babylon, but God “carries out the words of his servants.” (26) The contents are “who says of Jerusalem ‘It shall be inhabited’, of the towns of Judah, ‘They shall be built,’ and of their ruins, ‘I will restore them.’” (26) God “will restore” (26) Jerusalem and the town of Judah who are in ruins. People will live there once more.
At that time Israel was captured by Babylon. The town of Babylon was surrounded by a wall that was 90 meters high and 24 meters wide. Its circumference actually extended to 65km. There were 100 gates and 250 towers. Therefore, if the enemy came and tried to attack by going over the wall, from the watch towers they will be stopped in a moment. Even if they dug a hole under it to invade, the wall was built 11 meters under the ground so it can’t be invaded from under the wall. It was called an Impenetrable wall and it was thought that it was impossible for it to fall. It was the strongest town in history. Not only that, but there were 20 years of food stocked there for all of citizens in Babylon. No matter how much the enemy surrounded the city, they wouldn’t be moved at all. They thought that no one would be able to take the city. Therefore, the Babylon King Belshazzar invited every night thousands of VIPs to drinking parties. They thought that no one could attack and took their enemies too lightly.
How God destroyed Babylon is written in verse 27 and 28. “who says to the watery deep, ‘Be dry, and I will dry up your streams,’ who says of Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, ‘Let it be rebuilt.’ And of the temple, ‘Let its foundations be laid.’”
Here the name “Cyrus” (27) appears. It means “sun” or “King’s throne”. Cyrus was the King of the Medo-Persian Empire that rose up after the Babylonian empire. Originally he was nothing more than a king of a small country, Anshan, that was under the kingdom of Media. In 550 B.C. a coup d’état occurred in the Median Kingdom. He used the coup d’état and overthrew Media and became king. He made an army of 10,000 Immortal Soldiers, in which every killed, seriously wounded or sick member was immediately replaced with a new one, maintaining the numbers and cohesion of the unit. In the course of time exclusive of Ancient Egypt he united all of the countries of Ancient Orient and founded the Medo-Persian Empire. In world history Cyrus is famous, but present day Iranians say that Cyrus was the founder of Iran. Here it says, “Cyrus, ‘He is my shepherd’” (28) He was a shepherd. Just like David was king and shepherd, he too was also while being a King was a shepherd. He became the Great King Cyrus. Then God used King Cyrus to destroy Babylon.
The Impenetrable Babylon was destroyed in a really novel way. Here it says that God will say “to the watery deep, ‘Be dry, and I will dry up your streams’.” (27) “Watery deep” is the Euphrates which is a symbol of Babylon. Cyrus and his army dried up the Euphrates. They diverted the Euphrates into a canal so that the water level dropped, which allowed them to march directly through the river bed to enter the city at night and struck and destroyed the Babylon King that was drunk at a party. Who would of thought of that! The present King Belshazzar too didn’t think that by such a method they would be attacked either. Even though the Medo-Persian’s huge army was surrounding the wall, King Belshazzar in high spirits invited thousands of VIPs and was enjoying drinking together. What it was like is written in detail in Daniel 5 so later please look at that. By this method they were able to in one day to take Babylon which was said to be Impenetrable. Not only that but they succeeded without shedding a drop of blood. Verse 26 says that God “carries out the words of his servants and fulfills the predictions of his messengers.” Just as these words say, God fulfilled “the predictions of his messengers.” (26)
Moreover what is surprising is this event was spoken about 150 years before it happened. At that time Cyrus had not even been born and the country of Babylon hadn’t risen up either. At that time it was the age when Assyria was still the ruling country in the world. At that time Isaiah prophesized this. He spoke concretely in advance about how Babylon will be captured and how Israel will be set free. This is so concrete in detail that there are some people that think that man could never write such a thing. Therefore, they rationalized that there must have been a second Isaiah and a third Isaiah that added on to the original Isaiah’s work. However, this was really a prophecy that Isaiah, the prophet, who spoke what God said 150 years before it occurred. Such a thing man can’t do, but the God of the Bible who we believe in is Almighty and omnipotent God and proclaims and foretells what will come.
However, this prophecy of Isaiah doesn’t end with Babylon being destroyed by Cyrus. If you look at the end of verse 28, it says, “he will say of Jerusalem, ‘Let it be rebuilt,’ and of the temple, ‘Let its foundations be laid.’”

This means that the temple that was destroyed by Babylon will be rebuilt. Just as this prophecy says, Cyrus who destroyed Babylon, allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem and by the governor Zerubbabel the rebuilding of the temple was allowed. Then in 516 B.C. the temple in Jerusalem was rebuilt. 70 years had passed since Jerusalem was destroyed by Babylon. It was so much smaller than the temple that Solomon had built so it couldn’t be compared at all with it, but even so it was a symbol of God’s presence and the fact that it was rebuilt was for them certainly a deeply moving experience. When this temple was finished, either because they were so happy that the temple was finished, or because compared to the earlier temple it was so much smaller, according to the Bible records that they all cried. Whatever the reason, what is declared here was carried out.
This means that what God says will definitely be fulfilled. God “fulfills the predictions of his messengers.” (26) If that is the case then we must stand firmly on God’s work. We must wait expectantly for the promise. Recently on the T.V. and internet there is abundant information. We must not be shaken by that information, but listen to the Word of God, follow the word of God, and wait expectantly praying for the fulfillment of the Word of God.
Recently personally a passage of Scripture that the Lord spoke to me about was Acts chapter 1. Just before Jesus ascended into heaven, He commanded the disciples, “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about.” (Acts 1:4) Then “they went upstairs to the room where they were staying…They all joined together constantly in prayer.” (Acts 1:13&14 ) Then you know what happened. They were filled with the Holy Spirit and they went out into the whole world to be witnesses for Christ. There were 120 people meeting there. At that time the population in Palestine was 4,000.000 people. Among 4,000.000 people there were 120 people, but just as the Lord commanded they met together and prayed. Among 4,000.000 people, 120 people is really a small number. However, God placed all his expectations upon these 120 people.
The kingdom of God is really like a mustard seed. When it is planted the seed is very small. “Though it is the smallest of all your seeds, yet when it grows, it is the largest of garden plants and becomes a tree, so that the birds of the air come and perch in its branches.” (Matt. 13:32) That is because God’s life is there. What God desires isn’t numbers. It is whether there are Christians that have Christ’s life in them or not. If there is even just 1 person there who is 100% dedicate to the Lord, the Lord will work through that person.

Let’s be that person. Then let’s plant seeds. Believe in the Word of God obediently. Then depending on the Word of God, the Lord will do a huge work through each one of us. This is what we must remember.

In the first half of chapter 44 Isaiah talked about what God is like. The real God is the first and the last. In other words God is eternal and He can “foretell what will come.” (7) Also God is “Israel’s King and Redeemer, the Lord Almighty.” (6) In other words, God revealed himself through Jesus Christ. God is the Creator God, the trinity. Apart from Him “there is no God.” (6) There is no other God besides Him. “There is no other Rock.” (8) We can depend upon Him. Apart from Him “there is no God.” (6) All other gods are all worthless. In today’s passage Isaiah is teaching what idols are like and also what will happen if we depend upon idols.

I. Why make idols? (Vs. 9-11)
First please look at verses 9 to 11. “All who make idols are nothing,
and the things they treasure are worthless.
Those who speak up for them are blind;
they are ignorant, to their own shame,
Who shapes a god and casts an idol,
which can profit nothing?
He and his kind will be put to shame;
such craftsmen are only human beings.
Let them all come together and take their stand;
they will be brought down to terror and shame. Here it says, “All who make idols are nothing.” (9) That is because they “are worthless”. (9) They “are blind; they are ignorant.” (9) The Psalms say the same thing. “But their idols are silver and god,
made by humans hands.
They have mouths, but cannot speak,
Eyes, but cannot see.
They have ears, but cannot hear,
noses, but cannot smell.
They have hands, but cannot feel,
feet, but cannot walk
nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
Those who make them will be like them,
And so will all who trust in them.”

Even though idols have eyes, they “cannot see.” (5) “They have ears, but cannot hear,” (6) “They have mouths, but cannot speak.” (5) They have “noses, but cannot smell. They have hands, but cannot feel。” (6) They have “feet, but cannot walk.” (6) What this means is there is no meaning in making such things and worshipping them. There is completely no meaning. Such idols “are worthless” (9) and “profit nothing”. (10)
Originally the word “idol” meant “a carved object”. It was nothing more than to make a carving of something that man imagined himself into a concrete form. The reason that man carved out something that he imagined was because such things were easy to worship.
For example, in Exodus Moses climbed Mt. Zion to receive the 10 commandments. When Moses took a long time coming down off the mountain, the Israelites came to Aaron and said, “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)
What the Israelites didn’t like was that Moses didn’t show them God. He didn’t show them the god “who will go before” (Exodus 32:1) them. Therefore, they approached Aaron and asked Aaron to make them ”gods who will go before” (Exodus 32:1) them and lead them. Aaron too feared what the Israelites might do the way they were. Therefore, he told them to take off their earrings and to bring them to him. Then he made them into a golden calf. Then they said, “These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt.” (Exodus 32:4) Aaron tried to meet the needs of the Israelites by doing this. In other words, they made an idol to meet their needs and worshipped it.
In other words, idol worship is to make the desires of our heart into a form. The materialization of man’s cravings is an idol. This isn’t necessarily just worshipping things in the form of man or animals.
Open your Bibles to Col. 3:5.
“Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry.” (Col. 3:5)
Here this is saying that when we allow our earthly nature to take over and are involved in “sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed” (Col. 3:5) that is idol worship. To not “put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature” (Col. 3:5) and to allow our earthly nature to take on a concrete form is to worship it.
Therefore this is not just a problem for unbelievers. Us, Christians, must be on the outlook too. Therefore, the Apostle John wrote the following in his letter. “Dear children, keep yourselves from idols.” (I John 5:21) “Children” (I John 5:21) are Christians. Christians too are tempted to worship idols so John sent this letter telling us not to fall to such things.
Man all have desires for something. That is mankind. There is no one that doesn’t have desires. Martin Luther said, “Man has either God or an idol.” It doesn’t have a name of god attached to it. That means that all men are a being that have some kind of god that they bow to. Without it they can’t live. Even people that say that they don’t believe in god, in reality, they have some god that they believe in and are worshipping. Even among those that say that they don’t believe in idols, some desperately worship money (mammonism) or believe that science is absolute, or if they have musical talent then they give their life to music, etc. That becomes that person’s god. In ever age, every culture, every generation, everyone has some god.
A characteristic of communism is said to be that there is no god. However, even in communism a god exists. The dictator is an idol that exists. Therefore, look at the Kim II-sung Square in Pyongyang, North Korea. There is a great idol there. There are great golden statues of Kim II-sung and Kim Jong-II standing there. It is a country with no gods, but they have become their gods. Man always has gods or idols. In every age, in every culture, where ever man exists idols always exist. Therefore, we must watch out and be careful about idols.
Are you making other things than the real God your god? The 10 commandments are recorded in Exodus 20. The first commandment is “You shall have no other gods before me.“ (20:3) If there is something that you put before God, or something that you think about before God, then that is your idol. If you put your job before God, if you but your family, car, health, sports, hobbies, studying, school, etc. on a higher priority than God, that is your idol. We must watch out and be careful about idols.

II. What happens when we worship idols? (Vs. 12-17)
Next please look at verses 12 to 17. Verses 12 and 13 say, “The blacksmith takes a tool and works with it in the coals; he shapes an idol with hammers, he forges it with the might of his arm. He gets hungry and loses his strength; he drinks no water and grows faint. The carpenter measures with a line and makes an outline with a marker; he roughs it out with chisels and marks it with compasses. He shapes it in human form, human form in all its glory, that it may dwell in a shrine.”
Here it tells us who makes the idols. They are men who when they get hungry they lose their strength and when they don’t drink any water, they grow faint. Men who are weak like this make the idols. The completed object is beautiful and it is displayed in the temple, but it was designed and made by the hands of humans that have to have food and water to live. That is what idols are. It is strange in the first place to think that man could make an omniscient and omnipotent god.

Then verses 14 to 17 say, “He cut down cedars,
or perhaps took a cypress or oak.
He let it grow among the trees of the forest,
or planted a pine, and the rain made it grow.
It is used as fuel for burning;
some of it he takes and warms himself
he kindles a fire and bakes bread.
But he also fashions a god and worships it;
he makes an idol and bows down to it.
Half of the wood he burns in the fire;
over it he prepares his meal,
he roasts his meat and eats his fill.
He also warms himself and says,
‘Ah! I am warm; I see the fire’
From the rest he makes a god, his idol;
he bows down to it and worships.
He prays to it and says,
‘Save me! You are my god!’”
Here it says what the idols are made of. That is cedar or “cypress or oak” (14) that man had planted and grew. “It is used as fuel for burning (15) and fuel for cooking. However, he also uses it to fashion “a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it.” (15) “Half of the wood he burns in the fire; over it he prepares his meal…He also warms himself…From the rest he makes a god, his idol.” (16,17) In other words, what is left over is used for god. Then “he bows down to it and worships it. He prays to it and says, “Save me!” (17) Can such a thing save?
Before I used to be a prison chaplain at the Fukushima prison. A prison chaplain to respond to the needs of those who are imprisoned talks according to the teachings of his faith. I too once a month went to the prison and talked about the Bible. A person that came to hear the talks came to visit after a long time of not seeing him. This person was before going into the prison and ever since he got out of the prison has always been a part of the Yakuza world. However, his heart is very genuine, and simple and he hates crooked and wicked things. He does a lot of crooked and wicked things himself, but he hates crooked and wicked things! We are the same age so sometime he calls, but the other day he had to go from Tokyo to Sendai so he wanted to see me on the way so he dropped by.
He said, “It’s about time for me to leave the Yakuza” For a person who has been in the Yakuza world to say, “It’s about time to leave.” Is a good thing, but I thought it was strange so I asked him what he meant. Recently the world of the yakuza has changed. In other words, those who move up are only those with money. Therefore, even the young people who under him now he doesn’t know when the position will be reversed. Therefore, now he is being very careful about how he is talking. He is talking polite even to those under him. In the past it wasn’t like that. It was based upon “duty” (“giri”) so that those who were under you showed respect, but that is changing. Now there are times when the first becomes last and the last becomes first. In the Christian world the person who is in the front is expected to be more humble. However, in the Yakuza world the person’s position is absolute. Therefore, he doesn’t know when he is going to move down on the ladder so he can’t continue this life forever. “It’s about time to leave.” To have given his life for the group and now to say, “It’s about time to leave,” I can’t understand for what reason he has given his life for up until now for. His boss (oyabun) has been wrong. Only Jesus is the boss (oyabun). If you give your life for anything else, you will be deceived.
That is not just him. The world when it’s necessary will not help you. In our lives there are always troubles. Jesus too said that in this world there will be tribulations. At such times what are you going to depend upon? Japanese hate absolute things so when you say, “Jesus only”, they hate it. However, idols that are made from the left over fuel for burning can’t help you. It can’t save you. When you lose your health, when you fall into some huge difficulties, such things are of no use. If you worship and follow them you will be nothing. “All who make idols are nothing. (9)
That’s not all. Once more let’s look at Psalms 115:4-8. Especially verse 8 says, “Those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.”
This means that not only are “all who make idols…nothing,” (9) but “those who make them will be like them, and so will all who trust in them.” (Psalm 115:8) Those who make idols and worship “them will be like them.” (Psalm 115:8) For example, if you look at the appearance of people that go to baseball games often, such people look like their favorite team’s players. Those who like the Giants wear a giant’s uniform with their favorite athlete’s number on it. AKB fans look like AKB members. They put ribbons in their hair, and wear hats that look like lady bugs on their head. That is what enthusiastic fans are like. Idol fans look like the idol. They become like the idols.
However, if we believe in the real God and worship the real God and follow the real God, we will become like the real God, like Jesus. II Cor. 3:18 says, “And we with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord’s glory are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.”
“We all reflect the Lord’s glory are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory.” (II Cor. 3:18) We believe in God and have received God’s Spirit so the Holy Spirit leads us and we “are being transformed into” (II Cor. 3:18) Jesus’ likeness. If we believe in Jesus and are joined to Jesus, we will become like Jesus. “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control (Galatians 5:22,23) so we will transformed into a person with this kind of nature. Things that we couldn’t do up until now, we will be able to do. By the power of the Holy Spirit people that we haven’t been able to forgive up until now, we will be able to forgive too. People that we haven’t loved, we will be able to love. That is the work of the Spirit of the Lord. If you believe in Jesus and are joined to Jesus, then you will become a person like Jesus.
I have been surprised because sometimes I am told by other people that I look like my wife. In what ways do we look alike! Japanese & American, Black hair & blonde hair (recently a little white), black eyes and blue eyes, Japanese and English, movement is the tortoise and the hare, etc. In what ways do we look alike! Of course, on the outside we don’t look alike at all. However, the insides without realizing it become alike. The ways of thinking, the ways of talking, etc. That is because we are always fellowshipping together.
Come to think of it I heard an assistant pastor talk. I was surprised because the way he talked was like the pastor talked. Before he didn’t talk like that so I thought when you are together for years with someone you talk alike.
Depending upon who a person fellowships with he becomes like the person. A person who believes in the real God, worships the real God, fellowships with real God will become like the real God. He will be “transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory.” (II Cor. 3:18) What grace! If we miss the chance, we will lose wonderful blessings.
We know why it is important to worship the Lord on Sunday. That is because if we worship the Lord, fellowship with the Lord, and follow the Lord, we will become like the Lord. Of course, that is not just Sunday worship. It is everyday worship. It is how much you daily worship God and fellowship with God. If you are fellowshipping with God, just as the Bible says, you should want to worship with your spiritual family which has received God’s Holy Spirit. That is because it is the work of the Spirit. It is just as it is written, “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy.” (Exodus 20:5) It is the will of God that we seek God himself, worship God and put God first.

III. How can we be set free from idols? (Vs. 18-20)
Lastly, let’s look at how we can be set free from vain idols. Please look at verses 18 to 20. “They know nothing, they understand nothing;
their eyes are plastered over so they cannot see,
and their minds closed so they cannot understand.
No one stops to think
no one has the knowledge of understanding to say,
‘Half of it I used for fuel;
I even baked bread over its coals,
I roasted meat and I ate.
Shall I make a detestable thing from what is left?
Shall I bow down to a block of wood?’
He feeds on ashes, a deluded heart misleads him;
he cannot save himself, or say,
‘Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?’”
If a person that worships idols, thought about it calmly, he would know it is strange, but he is attracted to the idol’s beauty, power, and mysticism. He is so spiritually paralyzed that he doesn’t realize that it is an idol. Such people are easily blinded by things that will fulfill their desires. Just like idols “have mouths, but cannot speak, Eyes, but cannot see. They have ears, but cannot hear.” (Psalms115:5-6) Their minds are “closed so they cannot understand.” (18) What they must do is check what they are doing with the Word of God. Not by our own thinking and judgment, but by daily fellowshipping with God and receiving God’s strength and knowing God’s will we will be able to return to God from idols.
Please open your Bibles to I Samuel chapter 5. I will read verses 1 to 5. Here “the Philistines had captured the ark of God…Then they carried the ark into Dagon’s temple and set it beside Dagon.” (I Samuel 5:1,2) Dagon had a fish　head and is considered to be a fish god, but became connected with grain. Therefore, it was worshipped both as a fish god and a grain god. Israel’s ark of God was carried into and put in Dagon’s temple. “When the people…rose early the next day, there was Dagon, fallen on his face on the ground before the ark of the LORD! His head and hands had been broken off and were lying on the threshold; only his body remained.” (I Samuel 5:3,4) Therefore they were afraid of the ark of the covenant and returned it to Israel.
What this ark of the covenant symbolizes is God’s presence. In other words, when God is present, idols fall. Idols are so tempting that by your own strength you can’t knock them down. However. By God’s presence idols naturally fall. To fight the forces of darkness, you have to switch on the light. If you light the lantern, the darkness will naturally go away. In the same way, you need to carry God’s glorious presence into your temple of Dagon. If so, Dagon will lose his strength and will naturally fall. You will be set free from idols which are nothing and you will be set free from bad habits not by trying desperately to get rid of the idols, but by you carrying God’s glorious presence into your temple of Dagon. Everyday open your Bible, praise God, pray, and if God is living in your heart, if you are putting God first, then you will be set free from idols, and

you will be filled with the presence of the living God. However, if you put off doing so, and attach little weight to it, and put other things before God, Dagon will stand up and before you and block your way.
What is your Dagon? The thing that is the most important to you in your life is your Dagon. If you follow this Dagon, you will never be set free from this life of “nothing”. (10) “You shall have no other gods before me.“ (20:3) Let’s put God first in our lives. Let’s seek God’s presence. If so, you will be set free from idols which are nothing, and can live a life of meaning. God through Christ redeemed you and saved you from sin for that purpose.

Today let’s start Isaiah 44. Today’s title is from verse 6, “Apart from me there is no God.“ The first command in the 10 Commandments is “You shall have no other gods before me.“ (Exodus 20:3) It is emphasizing that the Lord God only is the real God, and we must not have any other gods besides Him. Today let’s look at what the Lord God is like.

I. I formed you and I will help you (Vs. 1-5)
First of all the Lord formed you and will help you. Please look at verses 1 to 5.
Here the word, “Jeshurun “ appears. This is another name for Israel. It means “an upright person”, “a righteous person”, or “a honest person”. Here in verse 1 all the names “Jacob”, “Israel”, and “Jeshurun” appear. “Jacob” means “holding on to the heel” or “brush aside” or “deceiver“. That Jacob had his named changed to Israel. It means “a person controlled by God”. Israel over and over again turned their backs on God, and didn’t walk by the will of God so the name “Israel” didn’t fit them at all. However, God chose them so God redeemed them. Therefore, even they were called “Jeshurun”. (1)
Here we can see how they were chosen. Here it says that God made them and formed them in the womb. Before they were born, when God formed them in their mother’s womb God was with them and supported them. From that time on Israel was taken care of by God’s right arm. According to the famous letter to the Ephesians, “He chose us in him before the creation of the world.“ (Ephesians 1:4)
If that is the case there is nothing to fear. God’s huge hand is on your back. God has made you so God “will help you.” (2) God has given you life up until now, so God will support you. You have nothing to fear. Do you realize God’s huge care and support? Or are you tortured by your lack of strength? What is necessary for you to do is believe in God who chose you, supports you, and watches over you. Then live in God. How we can do that is written in verses 3 to 5.
Let’s look at verses 3 and 4. “For I will pour water on the thirsty land,
and streams on the dry ground;
I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring,
and my blessing on your descendants.
They will spring up like grass in a meadow,
like poplar trees by flowing streams.
Some will say, ‘I belong to the LORD’;
others will call themselves by the name of Jacob;
still others will write on their hand, ‘The LORD’s’;
and will take the name Israel.”

This is not just pouring water on the desert. This is a promise of the outpouring of the Holy Spirit. That is because it says, “I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants.” (3) Just as water gives man’s body life and moisture, God’s Holy Spirit gives us spiritual life and strength.
Please open your Bibles to Joel 2:28 and 29.
Joel 2:28 & 29
This is a prophecy that at the end of the world, God’s Holy Spirit will be poured out. Specifically this will happen at the end of the world in the of the tribulation period. At that time God will pour out the Spirit of God, the Holy Spirit upon Israel. Then their eyes will be opened, and they will know that Jesus is really the Messiah, the Savior, and will come to know Jesus. Israel all together will be saved. Then the Bible prophecy, “All Israel will be saved.“(Romans 11:26) will be fulfilled.
However, this prophecy of Joel was quoted in Acts 2:16 to 18
Acts 2:16-18
This is the event of Pentecost which occurred 2000 years ago. After Jesus completed his work of salvation by the cross and resurrection, he was in this world for 40 days, but finally went up to heaven. That was to prepare a place for us. When he has prepared the place, he will come again to get us. When Jesus left, so that they would not be deserted the Lord promised to send the Holy Spirit. That was the event of Pentecost. At Pentecost the Christians were gathered praying together, when “suddenly a sound like the blowing of a violent wind came from heaven and filled the whole house where they were sitting. They saw what seemed to be tongues of fire that separated and came to rest on each of them.” (Acts 2:2,3)
Therefore, at the end of the world, this will be fulfilled perfectly, but it was fulfilled at Pentecost. This could be said to mean the end of the world has begun. This means that now is really the end of the world. At the end of the world God promises that He will pour out his spirit on all people. When he pours out his Spirit, “Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams.” (Acts 2:17) I always dream, but not that kind of dreams. This is the Lord’s vision. You will think that even though you are elderly, there is something you can do. You will want to be used by the Lord. A thought will be born that your life is from now on, and that you want to live the rest of our life for the Lord. How wonderful this will be!
If this is said in the context of Isaiah, it is “like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams, One will say, ‘I belong to the LORD’ another will call himself by the name of Jacob; still another will write on his hand, ‘The LORD’s’ and will take the name Israel.” (4,5) When the Holy Spirit is poured out, God’s life and strength will be given. We are really powerless, a very small being. When we can’t do anything we become irresponsible, but we “will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams.” (4) Then “some will say, ‘I belong to the LORD’; others will call themselves by the name of Jacob; still others will write on their hand, ‘The LORD’s,’ and will take the name Israel.” (5) “No one can say, ‘Jesus is Lord’ except by the Holy Spirit.” (I Cor. 12:3) To say, “I belong to the LORD” (5) is really the result of the work of the Holy Spirit. It is said that for people to change is more difficult than moving a mountain, but when the Spirit of God is poured out, that person is changed into a completely new person. That is by the work of God’s Spirit.
Think about the disciples of Jesus. After Jesus was put on the cross, they thought they would be captured by the authorities so fearfully they ran away and hid. However, when God’s Spirit, the Holy Spirit, was poured out, they were filled with the Holy Spirit and were completely changed. It was like they had changed persons. They didn’t fear death at all, and boldly in public places confessed that Jesus is Lord. It happened just as Jesus said.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8)
“You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you.” (Acts 1:8) When the Holy Spirit comes upon your dried heart, you heart will be completely filled. You will bear the fruit of the Spirit such as “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22,23) When God’s Spirit is poured out, fear will disappear from your heart, and you will be given strength to boldly witness to God. Let’s be like this. How we do that is written here.
Here it says, “I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground.” (3) If you want to be filled by God’s Spirit, first of all you must hunger and thirst for God’s Spirit. Just as water flows from a high place to a low place, God’s Spirit too will be poured out on those who are hungry and thirsty. If a person is not thirsty, he will not be filled. If you want to be filled with God’s Spirit, then you must be hungry and thirsty.
Please look at Matt. 5:6. Here it says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” “Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness…will be filled.” (Matt. 5:6) “Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” (Matt. 5:6) will be blessed. That is because such people “will be filled.” (Matt. 5:6)
Please open your Bibles to Luke 11:11 to 13. Here it says, “Which of you fathers, if your son asks for a fish, will give him a snake instead? Or if he asks for an egg, will give him a scorpion? If you then, though you are evil know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.”

This is a wonderful promise, isn’t it? If a son asks for a fish, a father will not “give him a snake instead” (Luke 11:11) of a fish. Recently the temperature has gone up and we see snakes here and there, but there isn’t any father that says there’s an abundance of snakes so I’ll give him a snake. Fathers “give good gifts to” (Luke 11:13) their children. In the same way “your Father in heaven” will “give the Holy Spirit to those who ask him.” (Luke 11:13) Seek the Holy Spirit. If so the Lord will give you the Holy Spirit. Let’s pray to be filled with the Holy Spirit.
Let’s read one more passage. That is John 7:37-39. “On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, ‘Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.’ 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.”
Here too a wonderful promise is written. “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.” (John 7:37,38) He is talking about “the Spirit, whom those who believed in” (John 7:39) Jesus “were later to receive.” (John 7:39) “Rivers of living water will flow within them” (John 7:38) so “They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams.”(4) Their leaves will not dry up, and are very green and alive. They are alive and joyful. We too let’s be like that. Let’s be full of love, overflowing in love, and no matter how terrible we are treated, let’s forgive from our hearts. To do that it is necessary is that we be filled with the Holy Spirit.　Even if you try to drain out all that is within you, it won’t come out. That is because within our inside there is nothing good. What is necessary is God’s love which is far above human intellect. It is by being filled by the Holy Spirit. The Lord promises to fill you with the Holy Spirit. To be set free from fear, you must be filled by the Holy Spirit.
II. Apart from me there is no God (Vs. 6)
Next please look at verse 6. “This is what the LORD says-
Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last;
Apart from me there is no God.”
Here God states what He himself is like. First of all, God is “Israel’s King…the LORD.” (6) “LORD” (6) is written in capital letters. This means that the word “Yahweh” is used here. “Yahweh” is the Lord’s name. Also here it says, ”Redeemer”. (6) God redeemed Israel.　Just as God saved Israel from Egypt he will set them free from Babylon. That is not all. Here God is “the LORD Almighty.” (6) This expression includes God’s absolute power and authority. In other words, “the LORD Almighty” (6) by His Almighty power is going to save Israel. Also the Lord says, “I am the first and I am the last.” (6) God lives eternally and from the beginning until the end controls history. Apart from him “there is no God.“(6) Who is this God? The Jehovah’s witnesses believe this God is Jehovah. However, this God is the trinity which includes Jehovah. Jehovah is at the same time Jesus. That is because this name Jehovah is also used for Jesus.
For example, in John 1:49 it is recorded that Jesus is the King of Israel.
John 1:49
These are the words of a man, Nathaniel. It is his confession of faith. He came to a place near the River of Jordan with his friend, Phillip. He may have wanted to be baptized by John. However, there they meet Jesus. First Phillip believed and became one of Jesus’ disciples. Then he said to Nathaniel, “Come and see.“ (John 1:45) However, Nathaniel didn’t believe. The reason why was that the thought “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there? “ (John 1:46) He was from the neighboring town of Cana so he knew Nazareth well. It was a small town so where each person lived was common knowledge. He thought it was unthinkable that the son of the carpenter, Joseph, could be the Messiah. “Nazareth! Can anything good come from there? “ (John 1:46) It couldn’t be! However, when he met Jesus, Jesus knew everything about him so his unbelief and skepticism towards Jesus blew away. He confessed that Jesus was really the Son of God, the Messiah, the King of Israel.
Also, “Reedemer” (6) as I have talked about several times before, means to pay the price and buy. In the book of Ruth in the Old Testament, Boaz is a “redeemer”. He is a pattern of Jesus. From the descendants of Boaz and Ruth Jesus was born. That is because Jesus came to give his life as a payment for redemption. Jesus died on the cross as a payment for our sin. Christians are redeemed by the blood of Jesus on the cross, and have been bought. Jesus redeemed us from our sin so He opened the way to God. We daily commit sin, but by Jesus we have been redeemed from our sin so when we repent and return to God, we are given restoration in all areas. Jesus is our “Redeemer”.
Also about “the LORD Almighty”, (6) if we look at John 12:41, it says, “Isaiah said this because he saw Jesus’ glory and spoke about him.“ The glory of Jesus that Isaiah saw is in Isaiah 6:3.
Isaiah 6:3
Here it says “LORD Almighty.” (6:3) This “LORD Almighty” (6:3) that Isaiah saw was Jesus. It was the glory of Jesus.
Also, about “I am the first and I am the last,” (6) Revelations 1: 17 and 18 says, “When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead. Then he placed his right hand and on me and said: ‘Do not be afraid. I am the First and the Last. I am the Living One; I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever! And I hold the keys of death and Hades.’”

Here is says, “I am the first and I am the last.” (Rev. 1:17) Here the “I” (Rev. 1:17) is Jesus. That is because after that is says, “I was dead, and now look, I am alive for ever and ever!“ (Rev. 1:18) Jesus Christ died, rose, and lives forever. Jesus Christ is really the first and the last.
Like this, all the words that are used for the word “LORD,” (6) Jehovah, of Isaiah 44:6 are all used for Jesus Himself. In other words, the “LORD,” (6) Jehovah is at the same time Jesus. The proof is that “God” in “Apart from me there is no God.” (6) is written in the plural form. The Hebrew word that is used here for “God” (6) is “Elohim”. The singular form is “Eloah”. When it becomes the plural form for 3 or more, it becomes like this “Elohim”. This is the trinity. The word “trinity” does not appear in the Bible, but the concept appears throughout the Bible. Therefore, this is the “LORD,” (6) Jehovah, and at the same time Jesus, and also the Holy Spirit, the triune God.
Also, in the Bible it says clearly that there is no other God than this. This God is Israel’s King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty…the first and… the last.” (6) Apart from Him “there is no God.” (6)

III. God who foretells what will come (Vs. 7&8)
Lastly let’s look at verses 7 and 8. “Who is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come- yes, let them foretell what will come. Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one.”
Here the Lord says that if there is any God besides him, to show the proof. It is only by showing the proof that god is god will the god be recognized as having legitimate attributes. The proof that the Lord is seeking is that the god can proclaim “what is yet to come-yes, let them foretell what will come.” (7) This is the same thing that was said in chapter 41. The God who can proclaim the future is the real God. This God of the Bible, the Creator God, can tell us “what is yet to come” (7) and can “foretell what will come.” (7) This is written as prophecy in the Bible and as I said before, there is a lot of prophecy in the Bible. In fact, prophecy occupies 1/3 to 1/4 of the Bible. This is one big reason that the Bible is an unique book. The Bible foretells “what is yet to come” (7) accurately and concretely. For example in 45:1 the name, “Cyrus“ appears. The name of a Persian King who hasn’t been born yet is being proclaimed! That is because this God is the really the real God.
The God who proclaims like this is the real God, and apart from him “there is no God.” (6) Israel is chosen, saved, taken care of, and supported by this God. If that is the case, then it is completely vain to make idols and worship them. For them what is necessary is to have assurance that this God is the real God, and be a witness to the Word of God.
We are the same. We too need to have assurance that the God of the Bible is the real God and that apart from him “there is no God” (6) and be a witness to God. Just like Peter and the Christians of the first church boldly proclaimed, ”Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved,“ (Acts 4:12) we must witness that Jesus is the real God, the Savior, and that ”Salvation is found in no one else.“(Acts 4:12)
The Lord at the very first of the 10 commandments said, “You shall have no other gods before me.“ (Exodus 20:3) In other words, you must make this God the number one thing in your life. You are breaking this commandment if your job is more important God, if you family is more important than God, if the church is more important than God, if your hobbies are more important than God, if studying is more important than God, or if your friends are more important than God. Of course, your job, your family, church, studying, etc. are all important things. There isn’t one of these things that isn’t important. However, among these things the thing that you have to put first is God. That is because God is absolute. When we put Him first, then all these things will be given to us. “Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. Then all these things will be added unto you.” (Matt. 6:33) Let’s respond to God’s challenge with faith. Then God will abundantly pour His Holy Spirit upon your life, and fill you will love and peace. Also he will give you the blessings of God himself. God will by marvelous ways do this.
“Apart from me there is no God.” (6) He chose you when you were in the womb, watches over you, and supports you. Then He pour His Spirit upon you giving you power. He is really your “King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty.” Apart from Him “there is no God.” (6) Only he is God. He is a “Rock “ (8) that will definitely not let you down.

I. God who saves (Vs. 14-17)
Today’s message title is “I am doing a new thing” from verse 19. First let’s look at verses 14 and 15. “This is what the LORD says-
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel:
‘For your sake I will send to Babylon
and bring down as fugitives all the Babylonians,
in the ships in which they took pride.
I am the LORD, your Holy One,
Israel’s Creator, your King.’”
This is a declaration that the Lord for Israel will overthrow Babylon. God says he will set free Israel who is captive to Babylon. God “will bring down as fugitives all the Babylonians” (14) and set Israel free. The Babylonians who were intoxicated by victory will be brought down “in the ships in which they took their pride” (15) and God will save Israel.
God will do this for you. Babylon too who was said to be impregnable will surely be “brought down”. (14) That is because the Lord is “your Holy One, Israel’s Creator, your King”. (15) Here “the Holy One of Israel” (14) appears over and over again. It means He is completely separated from us. The Lord who created the heavens and the earth is Almighty. This Lord will take the initiative and will bring Babylon down. God will do this for sure.
Please look at verses 16 and 17. “This is what the LORD says-
he who made a way through the sea,
a path through the mighty waters,
who drew out the chariots and horses,
the army and reinforcements together,
and they lay there, never to rise again,
extinguished, snuffed out like a wick:”
The exodus is the background for these things. When Israel was saved from Egypt, the Egyptian army followed and came up behind them and they fell into a desperate situation. In front of their eyes all they could see was the Red Sea and they couldn’t move forward. At that time the Lord separated the Red Sea into two and made a dry path “through the sea” (16) and saved them. He “made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters.” (16) Then he “drew out the chariots and horses, the army and reinforcements together.” (16) That was the exodus. He is going to do the

same type of thing again. That is setting Israel free from the captivity of Babylon. In other words, it is the second exodus. No matter how strong the enemy (Babylon) is, God will do a powerful act and save them.
This is the same in every age. Hebrew 13:5 says, “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.” The Lord who saved Israel from captivity in Egypt will save Israel who is captive in Babylon. Then also now the Lord is living and will perform the same mighty acts. To save all mankind who is struggling in sin, God sent his son Jesus Christ to this world. God will save us who are struggling in sin. Salvation from sin has already been prepared for you.
A few years ago Pastor Hah Yongjo of the Korean Onnuri church who has already returned to heaven established the “Acts 29” vision. That is to write Acts 29. The book of Acts is not finished. The Onnuri Church has taken over the calling of the book of acts to spread the Gospel to every people. Then they began to have a “2000/10000” vision. That was by the year 2010 to send out 2,000 missionaries, and to raise up 10,000 workers. After he declared this vision an elder came to Pastor Hah and asked, “Pastor, did God really give you this vision?” It seemed like a very impossible thing to do. Later this elder had the job of sending out missionaries. Then he said this, “Pastor, it will really happen!”
If it is something that anyone can do, then God isn’t necessary. It can be done just by man putting out effort and working hard and doing the very best. However, impossible things by God’s vision are done by God himself. God is now and forever at work. “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and tomorrow.” (Hebrews 13:5) God through Jesus Christ accomplished the work of salvation. Then even now He is alive and working. We must look to God and depend on this God.

II. God who does new things (Vs. 18-21)
Next I’d like to look at verses 18 to 21. Please look at verse 18 and the beginning of verse 19. “Forget the former things;
Do not dwell on the past.
See, I am doing a new thing!
Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?”
“The former things…the past” (18) are acts of salvation by God that Israel has experienced in its past history. Especially in verses 16 and17 the events of the exodus are recorded so it is thought that this is referring to the exodus too. It says not to remember “the former things…the past” (18) That is because God is “doing a new thing!” (19) That is a bigger thing and on such a larger scale that it can’t be compared with

anything they have already experienced. “Now it springs up.” (19) We are to “see” (19) it. “The former things…the past” (18) What this new thing is is written in the end of verse19 and in verse 20. “do you not perceive it?
I am making a way in the desert
and streams in the wasteland.
The wild animals honor me,
the jackals and the owls,
because I provide water in the desert
and streams in the wasteland,
to give drink to my people, my chosen.”
This is what it will be like when Israel is set free from Babylon. When the Persian King Cyrus allowed the Israelites to return to their home country, Jerusalem, a way was made in the desert, and streams were made in the wasteland. They were able to return in security. It is really difficult to move forward in the desert with no road. It is dangerous to go forward in the wasteland with no water. However, the Lord will make “a way in the desert and streams in the wasteland.” (19) That is so they will be able to return safely and securely.
However, this is not only that Israel will be set free from Babylon, but this is prophesizing about a much bigger work of God. That is in the course of time the Messiah, the Savior, will be sent to this world and will set all mankind free from the chains of sin. He will come to cut off the curse of sin that was brought upon all mankind by the first man, Adam. God sent his only son to this world and for our sin sent him in the same body as us so that by that body our sin would be punished by him dying on the cross.　This is a work that only God can do. That Israel was saved from Egypt and saved from Babylon were great miracles, but a more awesome thing, the greatest event, is that God gave his only son so that our sins would be forgiven. Rather, the events of Israel being saved from Egypt and being saved from Babylon were patterns of God’s work of saving the sin of all mankind. They were models. They point to Christ. They were a type, a pattern, of all of mankind being saved of their sin by Christ. This is the “new thing”. (19) God “who made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters” before (16) will send his son, Jesus Christ, to save us from our sin.
There is a Christian singer named Don Moen. He made a song from this passage called “God will make a way”.
“God will make a way”
God will make a way, where there seems to be no way.
He works in ways we cannot see, He will make a way for me,
He will be my guide, hold me closely to His side,
With love and strength for each new day,
He will make a way, He will make a way,
By the roadway in the wilderness He leads me
Rivers in the desert will I see;
Ｈeaven and earth will fade, but His word will still remain,
He will do something new today.
Actually Don Moen wrote this song when he received despairing news. One night Don Moen received a telephone call from his wife’s mother. His wife’s sister and husband had a terrible accident. The eldest son, 9 years old, had died. The other 3 children too were seriously injured. He was overwhelmed with feelings of powerlessness. He thought that no matter what Bible passages surfaced in his heart, that it wouldn’t bring encouragement. Then in the midst of praying for his sister’s family the Lord gave him a song. He wrote it down. That is this song. “God will make a way, where there seems to be no way. He works in ways we cannot see.”
This is really what he wanted to say to his sister’s family. God can produce hope in the midst of despair. You too may have a time when you think that God has forsaken you, but God has definitely not forgotten you. That is just like it says is 44:21, “You are my servant…I will not forget you.” God will save you. The Lord will not forsake you or abandon you. Even when there seems there is no way that is a perfect chance to see the grace of the Lord opening a road. Therefore, at such times truly we must look to the Lord.

III. God who forgives sin and doesn’t remember it (Vs. 22 to 28)
Even so how Israel was is recorded in verse 22. Please look at verse 22.
Vs. 22
Even though God will do “a new thing,” Israel didn’t seek the Lord or respond to Him. “You have not wearied yourselves for me.” (22) means as it says in the next verse they did not weary themselves for God because they did not bring “sheep for burnt offerings, nor” (23) honor God with sacrifices. Put another way, they didn’t bring offerings to worship. Of course, what the Lord desires is not offerings, but a contrite heart, and a repentant heart. Even so, they did not seek the Lord, but burdened the Lord with their sins.
However, he is a wonderful promise. Like this they didn’t look to God’s promises and didn’t seek and call out to God, but God will blot out these sins and will remember their “sins no more” (25) Please look at verse 25. “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.”
“Blots out” is a synonym for forgive. God doesn’t just forgive. God “remembers your sins no more.” (25) That is the difference between human forgiveness and the forgiveness of God. Human forgiveness actually forgives, but forgetting is not included in it. Therefore, as time passes you remember again things from the past. Without realizing it unpleasant and disgusting thoughts repeatedly come up again. Even though you thought you had forgiven, still there is resentment left somewhere. Past memories flashback and irritations rise up.
However, God is different. If God says that he forgives, then all is forgotten. When you ask God to forgive you, he “blots out your transgressions…and remembers your sins no more.” (25)
This is an American joke. Alex was already 90 years old. He invited his friends to his house and like always his elderly wife, Rachel, served them a homemade meal. When the meal was over Rachel went back to the kitchen and Alex’s friend Mike admired Alex and said, “Alex, you are such a devoted husband! You always call your wife things like sweetie, honey, rose bud, or my rare treasure. There aren’t many people your age that love their wives that much. Thant’s amazing. I was really moved.”
Then Alex said, “You’re wrong Mike, Actually these 10 years I have become very forgetful. I can’t remember my wife’s name.”
The Lord is not joking. He will not remember your sins. “I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.” (25)
I’ve talked about this before, but there is a Korean movie entitled, “The eraser in my head”. This is a story of a wife who had early-onset Alzheimer and her husband. As you get older it is common for you to forget things, but to become senile in your youth is a very hard thing. In Japan too, ten thousands of people have this sickness.
In this movie, a young couple, a handsome guy and a beautiful lady get married and are having a wonderful married life, but this beautiful wife gets early-onset Alzheimer. In their smooth, happy life, the beautiful young wife’s memory starts failing. There is a line in the movie, “I will be your memory for you.” It is a movie that you can’t look at without crying.
In the movie the wife says, “There is an eraser in my head.” A movie critic said that this movie’s keynote is “forgiveness”. To the husband who can’t forgive his mother who abandoned him, the wife speaks a message of forgiveness. She said that just as in my head all memories are erased, may the bitterness toward your mother be erased from your heart.
If you look closely, on the wall of this couple’s house there is a picture hanging of Jesus knocking on the door of our hearts. This is a message that the memories of bitterness that are difficult to erase from our hearts can only be erased by welcoming Jesus into our hearts and believing in Jesus and receiving forgiveness of sin. Only Jesus can forgive our sins. Then he remembers our “sins no more.” (25) This is the forgiveness of God. This is the one-sided forgiveness by God’s grace and it has nothing to do with how much the Jews or Israel has done.
The reason that God does such things is given here. Here it says, “I, even I…for my own sake”. (25) God does these things for his own sake. By the one-sided mercy of God He blotted out your sins “and remembers your sins no more.” (25) That is because God chose you. God became your God. Since you believe in his son, Jesus, and believe that Jesus died in exchange for your sin, you have become a child of God. Therefore, no matter what He will not forsake or abandon you. If you repent and return to God, God will always forgive you, forget the sin “and remembers your sins no more.” (25) That is because God is your God.
That is definitely not because of your character or what you have done. It is by the one-sided grace of God. Therefore, in verse 26 the Lord says this, “Review the past for me, let us argue the matter together; state the case for your innocence.”
God is saying that if within you there is a basis for your sin to be forgiven, “state the case”. (26) There isn’t. We don’t have within us power to follow God’s commands. We are weak and can’t follow God’s law hardly at all. Man is a being that can’t follow God’s law. Therefore, Jesus came. He opened a way to salvation that is different. Moreover the law and the prophets testified to God’s righteousness. That is by faith.
Romans 3:23,24
Ephesians 2:8
God only by his one-sided mercy saved you. From the time that you confessed Jesus as your Savior, God became your God, and not only forgave all your sin, but He “remembers your sins no more.” (25)
Hebrews 9:27
Regardless of whether we believe or whether we don’t believe, it has been ordained that every man will die and after death will judged. Regardless of whether on this earth we did good or whether we did bad, there will come a time when all will be judged. We all will someday stand before God but when we stand at the court of judgment, Jesus will stand up and say, “This person has no sin.” God “remembers your sins no more.” (25) There is no record of them in heaven. Jesus may say something like, “I already took upon myself all of this person’s punishment for his sins when I died on the cross for him. He has already been forgiven. I have already forgotten what evil things he did. I have promised heaven to this person. Don’t worry, please come enter heaven.” Then while praising the Lord you will be able to gratefully and joyously enter heaven. That is by the one-sided mercy of Jesus. God has done this awesome thing for his “own sake”. (25)
This is your God. Before God set Israel free from Babylon and in the same way that he “made a way through the sea, a path through the mighty waters,” (16) He will do “a new thing” (19) in your life. Jesus has prepared forgiveness of sin for us. He will forgive our sin, and will let us enter heaven. Please believe in Jesus, and become a child of God. Please receive forgiveness of sin and new life. God will do “a new thing” (19) in you too. A life that looks forward in excitement to what God is going to do anew in their life is a blessed life. You are invited to this life. “See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?” (19) Let’s look at the work of salvation that is through Jesus. Then let’s wait with expectation for the new things that God is going to do. God will do “a new thing” (19) in your life.

Today’s title is taken from verse 2. I would like to talk about the greatness of God’s grace and how we have been established as witnesses to that grace from this passage.

I. Even in fire, even in water (Vs. 1-4)
Please look at verses 1 to 4.
Verses 1-4
If you look at verse 1, it says “But now“. This chapter has a plain connection with the close of the foregoing chapter. If you look at the previous chapter you will see what has been said up until now. He said how spiritually blind Israel is. In 42:19 it says, “Who is blind but my servant, and deaf like the messenger I send?” The Lord didn’t hide his shock from Israel’s spiritual blindness. They didn’t listen to what God said at all and continued to rebel so God handed them over to be plundered and looted. That was by Babylon. No matter how much God talked to them, they didn’t hear it so he poured his burning anger upon them. As I said last week too this was not to judge them, but so that they would stand up. Israel’s God is full of mercy, deeply gracious, and is full of goodness. Therefore, God pours out his anger upon them so that they will return and be saved. This is what God has said up until now, “But now, this is what the LORD says, he who created you Jacob, he who formed you, Israel: ‘Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. ‘” (1)
To Israel, Jacob, who has become so hard hearted God says, “Do not fear.” (1) For God has redeemed them. God has summoned them by name. They are the Lord’s. The word “redeemed” (1) means to pay the price and buy. The Lord paid the price and bought Israel so they are the Lord’s. Therefore, no matter what, God will never abandon or forsake them. Even if they turn their back on God, no matter how deep they fall in sin, the Lord will definitely not forsake them.
Please look at verse 3. Here it is written what the payment is. “For I am the LORD your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead.”
The ransom is Egypt and Cush. Also it is Seba. Cush is Ethiopia. Seba is the area South from Ethiopia. The Lord paid their ransom by such countries、and saved them from Babylon. In other words, to save Israel, God gave these countries to the Persian Empire and let Persia control them.
This ultimately refers to Jesus Christ who redeemed our sins on the cross. Just as God in order to save Israel gave Egypt and Cush for Israel’s ransom, in order to save all mankind God sent his son, Jesus Christ into the world. By giving his Son as a ransom, he offered salvation to all mankind. That was by putting him on the cross. If you accept this fact and accept and believe in God’s salvation, you will be saved. Your sins will also be forgiven. You will be set free from the control of sin. God to save you from your sins gave his precious only son’s life. He loved you that much. Please open your Bibles to John 3:16
John 3:16
We are in God’s eyes terrible sinners. We quickly tell lies, get angry, hurt others, and have bad thoughts in our hearts. Not only that but we are taught many things by the Lord, but we don’t pay attention and don’t listen. In other words, we are spiritual blind and spiritually deaf. Therefore, we are such a being that to be destroyed is unavoidable. Even so God sent his only Son, Jesus Christ for you, and was put on the cross and died as a ransom for your sins. That is so that none would perish, but have eternal life. You are included in “should not perish”. (John 3:16) This is what God is saying to us by the words, “but now, this is what the LORD says-he who created you, O Jacob.” (1) Please read this putting your own name in place of “Jacob”. “But now, this is what the LORD says-he who created you, O (your name) …’Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine.’” (1) Those who believe in the Lord Jesus as their Savior and belong to the Lord will no matter what never be forsaken.
Please look at verse 4. Here it says, “Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give men in exchange for you, and people in exchange for your life.” Here is clearly declaring, “you are precious and honored in my sight, and…I love you.” (4)
Around us are various kinds of eyes, but the most important eyes are these eyes. These are the eyes of God who says, “in my sight”. God looks at you through His eyes and “you are precious and honored in” (4) in his sight and he loves you. God’s eyes are really a definite standard. No matter what others say, no matter what you think about yourself, no matter how other people think of you, it is of no concern. What is important is how God looks at you. “You are precious and honored in” (4) in his sight. God loves you so much that he put his only child on the cross. Essentially, we don’t deserve to be loved. We are of no value. We deserve to be judged. However, God loves us even though we don’t deserve it. He loves us so much that he died on the cross. He goes to all extremes to love us. Even if you were the only person in this world, Jesus would come for you, the only person, and give his life on the cross. Therefore, here the “you” (4) is singular, not plural. God’s love is not sprinkled out on everyone, but is given to each individual person. What you need to do is gratefully accept the love that is presented to you.
A Korean pastor, Lee Minsopu, wrote the song “You were born to be loved when he was a seminary student.
You were born to be loved
You were born to be loved.
Your life is filled with love.
You were born to be loved.
Your life is filled with love.

God’s eternal love is shown through our relationships
Because you are with us we experience tremendous joy.

You were born to be loved.
You now experience this never-ceasing love.
You were born to be loved.
You now experience this never-ceasing love.

A girl who went to church sang this song at a prefectural elementary school when an incident involving a child occurred. Her teacher heard the song and thought that he wanted the students to know the meaning of the song and asked the girl if there was a CD with the song on it. That is why the song was made into a CD in Japan. The song was sung by the class, sung by the school, and now is being sung throughout the entire country. That is how much people don’t have a feeling of being “loved”.
However, this song isn’t a song to give us a sense of being loved. This isn’t a song that was made to emphasize that you are loved the way you are. It is not a song to give you an image or self-image that you are so precious. It is a song about God who loves you very much and that he sent his only son Jesus Christ and died in your place on the cross for you. This song is singing about how those who believe and accept God’s love are in God’s sight so precious. In other words, no matter how far you fall, if you believe in God’s salvation in Jesus Christ and are the Lord’s, God will not forsake you, will help you and watch over you. That’s how much God loves you.
This is expressed in verse 2 I think. Let’s read verse 2 together. “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 the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.”
This isn’t just about being in water or fire. Even if “you pass through the waters,” (2) the Lord will be with you. Even if “you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.” (2) Even if “you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze.” (2) That is because “the LORD, your God, the Holy One of Israel” (3) is your Savior.”
“When you pass through the waters” (2) is thought to probably refer to Israel’s exodus from Egypt. When they left Egypt, they passed through the Red Sea and were saved. Also “When you pass through the rivers,” (2) is probably when they entered the Promised Land, they passed through the Jordan River. “When you walk through fire” (2) is thought to be when the 3 young men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, turned their backs on King Nebuchadnezzar and refused to worship the golden statue so they were thrown into a burning furnace. They were in the burning furnace. Moreover, it was heated seven times hotter than usual” (Daniel 3:19), but they weren’t hurt at all. That was because God was with them. When the king looked into the furnace, he saw “four men walking around in the fire, unbound and unharmed, and the fourth looks like a son of the gods.” (Daniel 3:25) That was Jesus Christ before his incarnation. The Lord was with them so that didn’t even have one place that was hurt. If God is for us, it is not necessary to fear anything.
God redeemed you. You have been redeemed by God’s ransom. You are God’s. Therefore “you are precious and honored” (4) in God’s sight. God loves you. No matter how far you have fallen in sin, the Lord who loves you very much will go to all extremes to save you. He loves you unlimitedly. That is your God. God redeemed you so you are an object of God’s special attention and care. God no matter what will take care of you. That is because you are a person of God that God redeemed. For God “you are precious and honored.” (4)

II. For God’s glory (Vs. 5-7)
Next please look at verses 5 to 7. I will read verses 5 and 6. “Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth-“
The Lord says again to Israel, “Do not be afraid”. (5) That’s how fearful Israel was. They were captured by Babylon and they were in the midst of the agony of oppression. They were afraid of what was going to happen to them. God said to them who were in that condition, “Do not be afraid, for I am with you.” (5) God was with them and is going to bring their children from the east and gather them from the west. Also he “will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’” (6) Like this God will bring back his people from afar and gather them “from the ends of the earth.” (6) Not only were they captured and deported, but they were also captured by Assyria and deported so they were scattered about in all areas. God is going to gather them “from afar” (6) and bring them back to their father’s land, Jerusalem.
This was fulfilled by the Persian King Cyrus destroying Babylon. The Jews who had been captured and deported by Babylon 70 years later were able to return to their father land Jerusalem. However, this is at the same time a prophecy of the end of the world. At the end of the world the Jews who are scattered throughout the world will be gathered “from the ends of the earth.“ (6) Please look at Matt. 24:31.
“And he will send his angels with a loud trumpet call, and they will gather his elect from the four winds, from one end of the heavens to the other.”
Jesus said that at the end of the world, when he returns, that this will occur. The Lord will “send his angels…and they will gather his elect from the four” (Matt. 24:31) directions “from one end of the heavens to the other.” (Matt. 24:31) At the end of the world, Israel will be restored again. This was fulfilled on May 14, 1948.The Republic of Israel was established as a country. The Jews that were scattered throughout the world by persecution from the Roman empire in 70 A.D. were gathered and their country was restored. That is unthinkable. It is unthinkable, but in reality it happened. This is called the miracle of the present age. This happened because the Bible declared beforehand that it would. Just as the prophecy said, the Jews that were scattered throughout the world were gathered and they were able to return to the homeland.
Here this says “I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’! (5) Some people say that the “north” is Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union. After World War II such countries were behind the iron curtain. In Eastern Europe and the Soviet Union and such communist countries the Jews held demonstrations demanding “Let us go”, but for a long time it didn’t happen. It was the Jews that were the brains in those countries so it was felt that such countries would be unable to keep up if the Jews all left. However, in 1986 the accident at Chernobyl occurred which had a definite influence on fall of communism in Russia in 1991 and a little at a time the iron curtain began to open. In 1990 a wave of changing to democracy hit and the Berlin wall fell in 1989. After the Berlin Wall came down, East and West Germany reunified into a single German state on October 3, 1990. Then many Jews from the North were able to return to their homeland.
Also some people think that “the south” refers to Ethiopia. Ethiopia too was before a Marxist, communistic country. This communistic nation was overthrown and from 1948 to 1991 22,000 Jews were able to move to Israel to live. In 1948 when Israel was founded as a nation the population was 600,000 people, but in 2011 it had increased to 7,170,000. From all over the world overcoming every obstacle the Jews are returning to their homeland, Israel. This is a sign of the end of the world, but a little at a time it is being fulfilled. Just as God promises here, God is gathering again the Jews that are scattered abroad the entire world. Therefore, it is not necessary to fear.
We too while saying that we believe in God, we have fears about the future. However, there is nothing to fear. The Lord God is with us. Worrying about getting old, whether we have enough social security, what will happen if we get sick and such uncertainties flitter through our minds. However, “Do not be afraid, for I am with you.” (5) God is with us so we mustn’t fear. Just as God said he would gather Israel from the east, from the west, from the north and from the south and he did it just as he said, God will perform a certain work in our future.
The purpose for which God is going to gather all the Jews is written in verse 7. “everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” That is “for my glory”. (7) It is not to show how superior the people of Israel are, but for God’s glory. They are the people called by God’s name so they are for God’s glory. It is for that reason that God has performed the mighty acts that are called the miracle of the present age.
The same is true of us Christians. Christian means someone who belongs to Christ. We were formed and made” (7) and exist in this world to show Christ’s glory. If we can show God’s glory, we will fulfill our purpose for existence so we will have a sense of satisfaction. .
The other day I went to where Sayuri Kume was singing. Before she became a big hit with the song “Gentiles” and was very popular She gave a testimony as to why she stopped being a professional singer and became a Christian musician. The world of entertainment is a world where words about millions and billions of yen are flying around, but she felt that in that world she didn’t belong. She was receiving attention from the world, but she wasn’t finding any joy from it so she thought she would go back to the basics. When she thought about where her starting point was she thought that it was in the song that she sang when she was little at Sunday school, “Jesus loves me”. When she thought that that song was her starting point, she went to church. There she met Jesus Christ. Then she left the entertainment world, praised God, and became a singer to witness for Christ. I wondered why she didn’t sing “Gentiles” (which I love), but that is because she is living for the Lord’s glory. It is something that if a song doesn’t bring even a little glory to God then she doesn’t sing it. She said that even though she doesn’t get a lot of money, but even so she has a sense of satisfaction that she had never experienced before.
We are not singers, but no matter who we are the purpose is the same. That is that through us the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ will be praised. We exist for God’s glory. You may not be a singer. You may think that you can’t do such a big thing. However, it doesn’t matter what kind of a person you are. You exist to testify, to show, that God’s great power works through you.
What are you living for? You may have never thought about that before. In any case you may be living to live. There are quite a few people like that. You may have lived with no purpose, only for your own content, your own honor, your own glory, success, riches, pleasures, fulfillment of dreams. However, that has missed the mark. You don’t exist for those purposes. You exist for God’s glory. He “formed and made” (7) you and redeemed you from sin for that purpose.
III. My witness (Vs. 8-13)
Lastly, let’s look at verses 8 to 13. Verses 8 and 9 say, “Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf. All the nations gather together and the peoples assemble. Which of them foretold this and proclaimed to us the former things? Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right so that others may hear and say, ‘It is true.’”
“Those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf” (8) are the Jews. Here it says to lead them out. The reason they are to be out is so they can witness to “all the nations” (9) that God is really God. Therefore, verse 10 says, “You are my witnesses…whom I have chosen.” These are the Jews and us Christians.
The Jehovah’s Witnesses, a Christian cult, takes their name from this passage. They apply this passage to themselves. The group emerged from the Bible Student movement founded in the late 1870s by Charles Taze Russell with the formation of Zion’s Watch Tower Tract Society. Upon his death Joseph Rutherford became the leader making significant organizational and doctrinal changes. Also he changed the name of the group to Jehovah’s witnesses, based on Isaiah 43:10–12, in 1931 to distinguish themselves from other Bible Student groups and symbolize a break with the legacy of Russell’s traditions. They think that passage only refers to themselves. However, this passage isn’t about the Jehovah’s witnesses. It is about God’s people, Israel and also us Christians whom God has chosen.
Next, let’s look at what the witness is like.
1. The witness is chosen by God. Here it says, “my servant whom I have chosen”. (10) “Israel, my servant, Jacob, whom I have chosen.” (41:8) God has chosen this servant. That is the witness. The witness is not someone who wants to be a witness and becomes one. Only those who are chosen can become a witness. Jesus said to his disciples, “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit-fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.” (John 15:16)
Jesus chose us. Witnesses don’t volunteer. You can volunteer to be on the national defense force, but you can’t volunteer to be God’s witness. God chooses the person. He must be chosen by Christ. How can someone who rejects Christ become a witness to Christ? No one except Christians that have been saved can become God’s witness.
2. God’s witness is a servant. God’s witness, Christ’s witness, as “my servant” (10) must not be the master, but the servant. A servant faithfully does what the master says. That is a servant. A person that is self-center always saying “Me…me…me” and makes a fuss when he doesn’t get his way can’t be a servant. That is because a servant serves.
Jesus went to extremes to serve. Jesus “did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Matt. 20:28)　Jesus really became a genuine servant so he was able to say, “Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.” (John 14:9) If we don’t deny ourselves, take up our cross, and follow Jesus then we can’t be a witness. If we only talk about ourselves ”I…I…I..” then we can’t be a witness of God’s grace.
3. The Lord’s witness must know what God is like. Verse 10 says, “that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he.” We must “know” God. The word for “know”(10) is the same word used for sexual union in marriage. In other words, we need to know God to the point of becoming one with Him. To do that we have to believe God’s Word and give our whole life to Him. Then we will know what God is like “and understand that I am he.” (10) To “know and believe” (10) God, to become one with God through fellowshipping with Him, to walk depending on Him is to “understand” that he is God. A witness is such a person.
Lastly, let’s look at the message of the witness. That is in verse 11. “I, even I, am the LORD, and apart from me there is no savior.” This is the contents of what the witness of God says. “I was sick, but I got better. I am thankful.” That is a testimony, but more than that we must share about the Lord who healed you. The Lord is really God. Apart from Jesus “there is no savior.” (11) God is the one and only Lord, and God is the real savior are the two points. These two points are the message of the witness.
This Lord is the Lord Jesus Christ. The end of verse 12 and verse 13 say, “I am God. Yes, and from ancient days I am he.” Before when the Lord appeared to Moses, he said, “I am who I am.” (Exodus 3:14) It is the same expression. Jesus applied the phrase to himself. “I tell you the truth…before Abraham was born, I am!” (John 8:58)
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
This is the contents of what we must say. Just as before the disciples put their lives on the line and proclaimed that God is the Lord, we too who by the grace of God have been saved so let’s testify that the Lord is really God, the Savior, and what great things he has done in our lives. We mustn’t be silent. That is why you were chosen.
March 11,2011 was a great event that is said to have changed history. Then since then, in the midst of restoration not making much progress, also in the midst of the effects of radiation spreading, people have no hope, and are living a life full of troubles and darkness. Everyone is living with fear and uncertainties. In the midst of this we are saved. We have been given a certain hope. How great a calling we have been given! “Let’s go out to where the people are and stand and witness, “Come and see. Believe in Jesus. Jesus loves you. Jesus died on the cross in your place. Jesus loves you that much. Jesus will change your life like he has changed mine.”That is a life of showing God’s glory. It is for that purpose you were “formed and made”. (7) May you complete your calling of being a witness by witnessing to God’s love and God’s salvation.

Today I would like to talk about Isaiah 42:10 “Sing to the LORD a new song.“ In 42:1 it says, “Here is my servant.“ This “servant” (1) is the Messiah, Christ who will come in the course of time. He is different from the idol gods. Verses 2 to 9, last week’s passage, showed the greatness of the Lord’s “servant”.(1) In today’s passage it is saying what the people who know the great God’s salvation should be like. That is they should praise the great Lord. Today I would like to talk about three aspects of praising the Lord.

I. All people, praise the Lord (Vs. 10-12)
The first point is all people are to praise the Lord. Please look at verses 10 to 12.
Vs. 10-12
Here it says, “Sing to the LORD a new song.“ (10) The Lord has done a wonderful work of salvation, so “Sing to the LORD a new song.” (10) This “new song” (10) can be said to be newly made songs, and it also means to sing in a new mind or heart. Even old songs sing with freshness. Sing new songs that express how we are moved by the work of salvation. We are told to praise the Lord with this kind of new songs.
Here it says, “his praise from the ends of the earth, you who go down to the sea, and all that is in it, you islands.” From the ends of the earth we are to praise the Lord. More specifically it is “the desert and its towns…the settlements where Kedar lives…the people of Sela… from the mountaintops.” (11) In other words, throughout the entire world everyone is to praise the Lord.
Here it says “the settlements where Kedar lives…the people of Sela.” (11) Kedars are Arabs. Sera is the present day area of Petreae in Jordan. It is a place that has become a world heritage. Like this the people living in the sea, the people living in the wilderness and the people living in the desert are to praise the Lord.
If you look at Genesis 25:13, you will see that the Kedar’s ancestor was Ishmael. Sarah’s woman slave, Hagar, bore a child to Abraham. That was Ishmael. From him came the Arabs and Mohammad who established Islam. Mohammad was a descendant of Kedar. The Bible talks about the Kedars in Psalm 120:5 to 7.
Psalm 120:5-7
This is thought to have been written by David. He says about the Kedars that they want to fight. David is the Jews. David said that when the Jews talk, the Kedar want to fight. This did not begin in the age of David. This antagonistic relationship already existed before between Ishmael and Isaac. It was prophesized a long time ago in the Bible. We can’t understand at all why in the Middle East Israel and Palestine are always continuously fighting. We have a tendency to think that is because Israel entered the land after the Palestinians so the Palestinians are bullying the Jews. In reality that is not so. From a long time ago they have been fighting.
However, the future is not like that. In the future “the settlements where Kedar lives” (11) will praise the Lord together with the Jews. In the course of time they too will not believe in Allah, the god of the Koran, but will believe in God, the Lord Jesus. They will “Sing to the LORD.” (10) It is a little long, but let’s read Ephesians 2:11 to 19.
Ephesians 2:11-19
Don’t you think this is wonderful! Jesus has destroyed “the dividing wall of hostility” (Ephesians 2:14) Someday in the course of time the antagonistic relationship will be removed and as “fellow citizens”(Ephesians 2:19) they will “both have access to the Father by one Spirit.” (Ephesians 2:18) There will come a time in the course of time when they will praise the Lord together.
Christ was born to mend our severed relationship with God and bring reconciliation. This reconciliation isn’t just a reconciliation with God, but He “has destroyed the barrier” (Ephesians 2:14) of hate between fellow men. Through Christ “the dividing wall of hostility” (Ephesians 2:14) has been destroyed. Then in the course of time there will come a time when in one heart we will praise the Lord.
This is really wonderful! In reality among the Arabs, among the Moslems, the people who believe in Jesus Christ are increasing. This is a sign that this prophecy is actually moving towards its fulfillment. No matter how great of enemies, in the course of time there will come a time when their hearts will become one and they will praise the Lord together.

II. Praise the Lord who crushes the enemy (Vs. 13-17)
Next, please look at verses 13 to 17. Here the reason for praising the Lord is recorded.　Verse 13 says, “The LORD will march out like a mighty man,
like a warrior he will stir up his zeal;
with a shout he will raise the battle cry
and will triumph over his enemies.”
Certainly the Lord is kindhearted and humble, but towards the enemy “the LORD will march out like a mighty man, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph.” (13) The Lord Jesus said to the hypocritical scholars of the law and the Pharisees, “You are like whitewashed tombs.”(Matt。23：27) Also at the Jerusalem temple he cleansed the temple removing all the people who were doing business there and making the temple “a den of robbers.” (Matt. 21:13) Jesus is quiet like a sheep that is being sheared and in order to remove our sin died, but at the same time towards the enemy he is like a lion, “The LORD will march out like a mighty man, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph.” (13)
Around us there are so many spiritual attacks by the enemy, Satan, who wants to fight. With each and everything that happens the enemy, Satan, seeks to fight with our souls. However, there is no need to fear. The Lord will be our “mighty man, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal; with a shout he will raise the battle cry and will triumph.” (13) How will the Lord show his strength?
Verse 14 says, “For a long time I have kept silent,
I have been quiet and held myself back.
But now like a woman in childbirth,
I cry out, I gasp and pant.”
This is describing when Israel was captured by Babylon. While Israel was captured by Babylon was really a time of enduring. The Lord “for a long time…kept silent.” (14) However, at when the decided time comes, “The LORD will march out like a mighty man, like a warrior he will stir up his zeal;” (13) and will violently strike Babylon. As verse 15 says, the Lord “will lay waste the mountains and hills and dry up all their vegetation…turn rivers into island and dry up the pools.” Like this the Lord will stand up and smash the enemy.
That’s not all. As it says in verse 16, “I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them,” even if Israel is blind, the Lord will never “forsake them”. (16) Rather he led them on the road of salvation that they never ever even thought of.
Daily we have to make many choices and decisions. In making the decisions we really worry about what we should do. Also we can’t predict what the future holds。We are really spiritually blind. However, the Lord like a mother leads her child by her hand, will gently lead us who can’t see. He will lead us on new roads that we don’t know of or ever dreamed of.
How can we not praise the Lord? To trust in idols is stupid. Those who do so “will be turned back in utter shame.” (17) How can you not praise the Lord who leads your life on a certain road?

III. Repent of sin and praise the Lord (Vs. 18-25)
Lastly let’s look at how we should praise the Lord from verses 18 to 25. First I will read verses 18 to 20.
“Hear you deaf;
look, you blind, and see!
Who is blind but my servant,
and deaf like the messenger I send?
Who is blind like the one committed to me,
blind like the servant of the LORD?
You have seen many things, but have paid no attention;
your ears are open, but you hear nothing.”
“You deaf” (18) and “you blind” (18) is Israel. “My servant” in verse 19 is Jesus. The “servant” was sent by God to Israel, but they “paid no attention.” (20) They didn’t hear God. They were spiritually deaf. They were spiritually blind. The Lord was surprised by that. It is natural that the Gentiles would be blind. The truths of God had not been proclaimed to them. However, for God’s people who were “committed to” (19) God and who should have been God’s servants to be blind is unthinkable. In reality God has shown Israel great acts. When they left Egypt God performed many miracles, and before their eyes parted the Red Sea into two. In the wilderness for 40 years He fed them Manna. From the rock he gave them as much water as they wanted. Then God led them to the Promised Land, Canaan. God drove out the people of the land and as he promised he gave them a land overflowing with milk and honey. God treated them specially. That was so that they would know God is the real God, the creator God who made the whole universe. Even though they saw many things like this, they pretended like they didn’t see. Their ears were opened, but they heard nothing. They were like this so the Lord called them a “stiff necked people”. A person pulls the reins on a horse’s neck to tell him what he wants the horse to do. Israel not matter what God said, didn’t move in the direction he was asking for so the Lord called them a “stiff necked people”. They were an obstinate, stubborn people. No matter how many things the Lord showed them, they were blind. No matter how much they heard, they were deaf. They didn’t try to follow the Lord. The Lord looked at the Israelites who were like that and was surprised.
However, that isn’t just Israel. We are the same too. We “have seen many things, but have paid no attention.” (20) Our “ears are open, but” (20) we hear nothing. God has done many things for you, but have you paid attention to it? We fall into that kind of sin, and into that kind of unfaithfulness. God is looking at that kind of unfaithfulness and is lamenting in the same way he did for Israel’s.
We must return to God and seek God’s forgiveness. We must realize that by our sin we have become blind and deaf and return to the Lord. Please look at verses 24 and 25.
“Who handed Jacob over to become loot,
and Israel to the plunderers?
Was it not the LORD,
against whom we have sinned?
For they would not follow his ways;
they did not obey his law.
So he poured out on them his burning anger,
the violence of war.
It enveloped them in flames, yet they did not understand;
it consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.”
“Who handed Jacob over to become loot, and Israel to the plunderers?” (24) It was the Lord. Israel didn’t listen and follow the Lord so the Lord “poured out on them his burning anger.” (25) Israel was captured by Babylon. God gave them over to Babylon. That is because Israel didn’t seek to walk the road of God. They didn’t follow the teachings of God. There are times when the troubles we are receive occur because we have sinned so at that times we must repent of our sin and return to God. If we realize that God is judging us and return to God, then there is hope.
There is someone who took the events that happened to him as definitely not accidental, but as God’s warning and was led to conversion. That was Adoniram Judson. In the course of time he went to Burma, now Myanmar, as the first foreign missionary. However, from the beginning he did not have such a faith. He was like Israel, “stiff necked”. He was born to a pastor of a church in Plymouth Massachusetts. From the time he was little he was a very smart child. He was so much so that by the age of 3 he could read books. During his childhood years he read through all the books in his father’s den. When he became 10 years old he had already become a mathematician and was also studying beginning Greek and Latin. His father had expectations that he would in the course of time be a great person. His name was the same, Adoniram. He always told his son that he was really a wise boy and that he had great expectations for him.
When he was 16 years old he was able to enter college. Harvard University was only 50 miles from his home, but that university was becoming more and more liberal so his father sent not to Harvard, but to Providence of Rhode Island College which later became Brown University. That was because he thought the school stood firmly on the Biblical faith. When he entered college, he already knew Latin, Greek, math, astronomy, logics, dialectics, and philosophy so he entered not as a freshman, but as a sophomore.

However, while he was there he was influenced by his friends and in time left the faith. He became friends with Jacob Eames, who was a year older than him. Eames was talented, witty and very popular – but he was a Deist, not a Christian. He and Adoniram became very close friends, and Adoniram was so influenced by him that he soon became as much of an unbeliever as Jacob Eames. If Adoniram’s father had known that he had become a Deist he would have taken him out of the university immediately. The Deists rejected the Bible completely. The Deists only believed that there was a God who was not involved with mankind at all. They rejected Christ as the Son of God, did not believe in Heaven or Hell, or the Blood atonement of Christ. But Rev. Judson did not know that Adoniram’s friend Jacob Eames had led his son into such error and unbelief.
Jacob Eames was the leader of the young men Adoniram hung out with. These boys studied together, attended parties with young ladies, talked together, and played together. These young men had no interest in Christianity. They talked about becoming great authors, playwrights, and actors. They would become the Shakespeares and Goldsmiths of the New World in America. The whole religion that Adoniram’s father had so carefully taught to his son vanished completely. Jacob Eames had “liberated” Adoniram from his father’s old beliefs, and had freed him to seek for fame and fortune.
Adoniram became first in his class. He was chosen to be the valedictorian, and give the main speech at his graduation. At the end of commencement, in the position of highest honor, Adoniram gave the valedictorian speech, with his proud father and mother in the audience.
Thus, at nineteen, Adoniram was ready to begin his life work. But he had no idea what it would be! He came home and went to church with his father and mother every Sunday. His parents did not know that he was now an unbeliever. He felt like a hypocrite every time he joined his father and mother in family prayers.
Every week he grew more restless. He finally decided to leave home and go to New York. His parents reacted as if he had told them he was making a trip to the moon! At this point his father asked him to study to become a minister. When Adoniram heard that, he furiously told his parents the truth. Their God was not his God. He no longer believed the Bible. He did not believe that Jesus was the Son of God. Then six days later he got on his horse and rode toward New York. But when he got there he discovered that it was not the paradise he had dreamed of. There was no welcome for him and no employment. He only stayed for a few weeks before leaving, disgusted and heartsick.
As the sun was going down he came to a small village. He found an inn, put his horse in the stable, and asked the innkeeper for a room. The inn was nearly full. There was only one room left. The landlord told him that the room was next to that of a young man who was extremely sick, perhaps dying. He might be disturbed in the night. “No,” said Adoniram, he would not let a few
noises next door stop him from having a good night’s rest. After giving him something to eat, the landlord took Adoniram to his room and left him there. Adoniram got into bed, and waited for sleep to come.
But he could not sleep. He could hear soft sounds coming from the next room, footsteps coming and going, a board creaking, low voices, groans and gasps. These sounds did not disturb him too much – not even the thought that the man might be dying. Death was common in Adoniram’s New England. It might happen to anyone, at any age.
What disturbed him was the thought that the man in the next room might not be prepared for death. Was he, himself, prepared for it? These thoughts went through his mind as he lay there half dreaming, half awake. He wondered how he himself would face death. His father would welcome death as a door opening to eternal glory. But to Adoniram, the unbeliever, death was the door to an empty pit, to darkness, at best to extinction, at worst to – what? His flesh crawled as he thought of the grave, the slow decay of the dead body, the weight of the soil on the buried coffin. Was this all, through the endless centuries?
But another part of him laughed at these midnight thoughts. What would his friends at college think of these terrors of the night? Above all, what would his friend Jacob Eames think? He imagined Eames laughing at him, and he felt ashamed.
When he woke the sun was shining through the window. His fears had vanished with the darkness. He could hardly believe that he had been so weak and fearful the night before. He dressed himself and went downstairs to have breakfast. He found the innkeeper and paid his bill. Then he asked if the young man in the next room was better. The man answered, “He is dead.” Then Adoniram asked, “Do you know who he was?” The innkeeper replied, “Oh, yes. He was a young man from Brown University. His name was Eames, Jacob Eames.” It was his best friend, the unbelieving Jacob Eames, who had died in the next room the night before.
Adoniram was never able to remember how he got through the next few hours. All he remembered was that he did not leave the inn for some time. Finally he left, riding his horse away in a daze. One word kept going through his mind – “lost!” In death, his friend Jacob Eames was lost – utterly lost. Lost in death. Lost to his friends, to the world, to the future. Lost as a puff of smoke is lost in the air. If Eames’ own views were true, neither his life nor his death had any meaning.
But what if Eames had been wrong? What if the Bible was literally true and a personal God was real? Then Jacob Eames was eternally lost. And already, that moment, Eames knew he had been wrong. But now it was too late for Eames to repent. Knowing his error, Eames was already experiencing the unimaginable torments of the flames of Hell. All chance of being saved was lost, eternally lost. These thoughts went through Adoniram’s shocked mind. Adoniram thought that his best friend dying in the next room could not be a coincidence. He thought that his father’s God had arranged these events by providence, that it was not by chance at all.
Suddenly Adoniram felt that the God of the Bible was the real God. He turned his horse around and started home. His journey had lasted only about five weeks, but in that five weeks what had begun as the throwing off of the control of his parents had turned into a soul-shaking inner convulsion. He was now in a deep turmoil, in mortal fear for his own soul. He returned home an awakened sinner.
This was an extremely important conversion, because it led Adoniram to become the first foreign missionary to Burma. Through bitter hardships, imprisonments and family tragedies, including the death of two wives and several children, Adoniram Judson never wavered in his commitment to win lost souls to Christ, and to translate the entire Bible into the Burmese language. That was because of his conversion experience when he was a youth. That was because he accepted the death of his friend, Jacob Eames, as a warning from God, and had the experience of returning to God.
How about you? Even though God has been telling you to repent are unconcernedly disregarding it? Also do you think you have enough time and postpone doing so? Please open your heart to God’s call to return. Then let’s together sing a new song to the Lord. Let’s praise the Lord from our hearts. The Lord did something wonderful for you. God gave his only son’s life for you. The most fitting attitude as a response to the work of salvation is to accept that salvation and return to God. It is to sing a new song to the Lord. In the course of time the entire world will praise the Lord. Please join into the midst of the praising.

Today let’s begin to look at Isaiah 42.

I. The Lord’s servant, Jesus Christ (vs. 1)
First let’s look at verse 1.
Vs. 1
“My servant” refers to the Messiah, Jesus Christ who is to come in the course of time. This is quoted in the New Testament. Please open your Bibles to Matt. 12:17 to 21.
On a Sabbath day Jesus entered the synagogue and there was “a man with a shriveled hand.” (Matt. 12:10) The scholars of the law and the Pharisees were desperately trying to find an excuse to accuse Jesus. It is right to do good on the Sabbath so Jesus healed the man. Of course the Pharisees were going to accuse Jesus for healing on the Sabbath, but Jesus knew that and left there. Then those who followed him were all healed. However, Jesus commanded them not to tell others about him. That was because his time had not come yet. The time for him to be put on the cross had not come yet. Therefore, he commanded them not to tell other people about him. Matthew said this was to fulfill what was written in the book of Isaiah and quotes Isaiah 42:1-4 in Matt. 12:18 to 21. Therefore, “My servant” (1) is Jesus Christ. Isaiah prophesized that Jesus would be born 700 years before he was born.
“my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations.” (1) This too you know was fulfilled in Jesus Christ. Please look at Matt. 3:16 and 17.
Matt. 3:16, 17
This is when Jesus became 30 years old. It is the spectacle of when Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River. From this time on Jesus entered into his public ministry. The beginning was his baptism. At that time there was voice from heaven, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” (Matt. 3:17) The Father God is pleased with his Son, Jesus Christ as a faithful servant. In other words, Jesus is really acknowledged by God, the heavenly Father, as the child of God. He was God’s faithful servant. All that Jesus does pleases God and is acceptable to God. At the very least it is o.k. to say that this is positive proof that Jesus is God’s Son, the Savior.
“At that moment heaven was opened, and …the Spirit of God” (Matt. 3:16) descended on Jesus like a dove. This means that when Jesus was baptized by water, at the same time he was baptized by the Holy Spirit. It is just as it says in Isaiah 42:1, “I will put my Spirit on him.” God’s servant, Jesus, received a pouring of the Holy Spirit, God’s Spirit on him. By the power of the Holy Spirit Jesus began the work of God. Jesus is a model to us of the need to be filled with the Holy Spirit in order to do the work of the Lord. Today Christians who believe in Jesus are given the same power. Open your Bibles to Acts 1:8.
“But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
When you are filled with the Holy Spirit, you too will receive God’s strength, and “to the ends of the earth” (Acts 1:8) you will be able to do God’s work. Without that strength we can’t do anything. It is truly by receiving the power of the Holy Spirit that we can do great works of God.

II. The humbled Servant of God with a kind heart (Vs. 2-4)
Next, please look at verses 2 to 4. “He will not shout or cry out,
or raise his voice in the streets.
A bruised reed he will not break,
and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out.
In faithfulness he will bring forth justice;
he will not falter or be discouraged
till he establishes justice on earth.
In his law the islands will put their hope.”
“He” (2) is the “servant”. (1) “He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets.” (2) This does not mean that just as it says, Jesus never shouted, cried out or raised his voice. Jesus during 3 and half years, threw out demons, healed the sick and raised his voice proclaiming the kingdom of God. Therefore, this is not meant to be literally understood. This is how Jesus proclaimed the kingdom of God. Also Jesus’ ministry of proclamation was completely quiet and inconspicuous. Jesus didn’t flaunt himself. He didn’t gather people together for a huge evangelistic meeting. Jesus just chose 12 fameless disciples and while living with them proclaimed the kingdom of God. There weren’t any powerful or rich men. Many of them were fishermen. In other words, they were uneducated, average people. Among them were former tax collectors. There were zealous party members but there was no one with authority, riches, or who was famous. They were quite common, unknown, unsophisticated people. It was through such people that the Gospel was proclaimed.
Therefore, John the Baptist who had been put in prison sent two of his disciples to Jesus and asked Jesus, “Are you the one who was to come, or should we expect someone else?” (Luke 7:20) John should not have had to ask such a question sine he himself had announced the coming of the Messiah. He had been languishing in prison for months and the work of Jesus had not brought the results he apparently expected. Jesus’ preaching was quiet and inconspicuous. He did “not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets.” (2)
That’s not all. Here it says, “A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice.” (3) A “reed” (3) is weak and easily bent when the wind blows. Moreover, this is ”a bruised reed”. (3) It is a bruised and damaged reed. The reed is just about to break. It’s completely worthless. The “servant“(1) “will not break” (3) the bruised and damaged reed saying, “you are no good”, but will kindly watch over it and support it. The “servant” (1) will mend lives.
Also here it says, “a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. “ (3) “A smoldering wick”(3) is useless because it is no longer giving light. However, the “servant” (1) does not say to those whose faith is just about to die out, “I don’t need this anymore and snuff it out”, but instead blows it up into a flame. For example, if you think that you are losing your faith, the “servant” (1) will not “raise his voice” (2) or do something that stands out, but gently blow your heart into a burning flame.
Matt. 11:28 & 29
This is what our Savior Jesus Christ is like. He is “gentle and humble in heart.” (Matt. 11:29) Therefore, even if we are “a bruised reed he will not break” (3) us or if we are “a smoldering wick he will not snuff (3) us out, but will mend our lives and blow our hearts into a burning flame and give us “rest for” (Matt. 11:29) our souls.
That’s not all. In verse 4 it says, “he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his law the islands will put their hope.” This means that the “servant” (1) does not give up, fail or become “discouraged”. (4) No matter what difficulties he faces, he does not give up, and he will never fail. No matter how badly people resist and attack him, he doesn’t get discouraged, and completes his commission to the end, “till he establishes justice on earth.” (4) That is because God is “the Creator of the ends of the earth.” (40:28) Let’s read 40:28-31 one more time.
“Do you not know?
Have you not heard?
The LORD is the everlasting God,
the Creator of the ends of the earth.
He will not grow tired or weary,
and his understanding no one can fathom,
He gives strength to the weary
and increases the power of the weak.
Even youths grow tired and weary,
and young men stumble and fall;
but 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.”
This is the Lord’s “servant” (1), the promised Messiah, Jesus Christ. To believe in and walk with him is so encouraging! Let’s look to him.

III. The light of the nations (Vs. 5-9)
Lastly let’s look at verses 5 to 9. First please look at verses 5 to 7. “This is what God the LORD says-he who created the heavens and stretched them out, who spread out the earth and all that comes out of it, who gives breath to its people, and life to those who walk on it; I, the LORD, have called you in righteousness; I will take hold of your hand. I will keep you and will make you to be a covenant for the people and a light for the Gentiles, to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.”
The “you” of verse 6 is the Lord’s “servant” of verse 1. It is Jesus Christ. God “who created the heavens” (5) and earth and who gives breath “(5) and life to people has called the Lord’s “servant”. (1) The commission that God has given him is “to be a covenant for the people” (6) to be “a light” (6) so that they will be saved. He is to open eyes that are blind,” (7) and “to free captives from prison.” (7) He is not only to set free those who are physically and politically bound, but also those who are spiritually bound and set them free from sin.
Just as this prophecy says, 700 years after this prophecy, God’s child, the Messiah, the Savior came into this world. Then he saved those who were in darkness who were blind in the midst of their sin and ignorance. By Christ being put on the cross and dying and 3 days later rising again he set free the people who were bound by sin.
In John 9 the opening of the eyes of the man who had been born blind is recorded. In response to the disciples question, “Rabbi, who sinned, this man or his parents, that he was born blind?”, (John 9:2) Jesus answered, “Neither this man nor his parents sinned…but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life.” (John 9:3) The blind man’s eyes were opened. That means that now only were his eyes opened, but also his spiritual eyes were opened too.
“Who sinned…that he was born blind?” (John 9:2) is a question that we often ask. All those people who have not had their spiritual eyes opened can only have such a near sighted point of view. However, people who believe in Jesus and have had their eyes

opened can see God’s glory in the background of all events. “Neither this man nor his parents sinned…but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed.” (John 9:3) In this person’s life how full of comfort this light was!
Hajime Suetomi, a missionary sent to Turkey came and gave his testimony at our church. For many years he worked in the building field and he wasn’t a Christian then. However, in 2002 he became a Christian through a happening in his life. He went even so far as to become a missionary.
At that time he was arrested for what was a customary business transaction which violated commercial law. He was put in jail. His wife who was already a Christian brought him a Bible. During the 2 years and 11 months that he was in jail, he read the Bible desperately. At last he believed in Jesus. He repented of his sin, believed in Jesus and was saved. After that he began to live a life of walking in faith. At that time he was 63 years old. He said the following about his mind at that time.
“However, at that time I still didn’t have any idea that I was going to as a missionary share about this grace overseas, moreover I had no idea I was going to share to Moslems either.”
At that time it never even entered his mind that he would become a missionary. However, when a person believes in Jesus Christ as their Lord, and begins a life of following God, God can use him no matter what kind of person he is. About 3 years after Mr. Suetomi was saved, when he became the age of 66 (now he is 71), he became a missionary. He and his wife were sent to Turkey, and are evangelizing in an extremely pagan area.
When he became near to the end of his life, why was he arrested and put in jail? That was for God’s glory.
Many of us are now walking in the dark, we are bound in prison. God has sent his “servant” (1) to this darkness “to open eyes that are blind, to free captives from prison, and to release from the dungeon those who sit in darkness.” (7) That is Jesus Christ.
In verses 8 and 9 it says, “I am the LORD; that is my name!
I will not give my glory to another
or my praise to idols.
See, the former things have taken place,
and new things I declare;
before they spring into being
I announce them to you.

This LORD is Yahweh which is the Lord’s name. It means “I am who I am.” (Exodus 3:14) It means that God exists of himself. He isn’t dependent on anything. In other words, God is perfect and his glory is perfect so it is never darkened nor does it change. That is God’s glory. This glory is hardly appropriate for idols. He doesn’t give his “praise to idols.” (8) This glory is appropriate for only the Lord, God’s “servant,” (1) the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Lord declares “new things”. (9) “The former things” (9) are things that “have taken place”. (9) These are probably the predictions that Isaiah had made that have already been accomplished. They happened just as they had been prophesized they would. The Lord who declared these “former things”(9) is now declaring “new things”. (9) That is concerning the Lord’s “servant,” (1) the Messiah. This will definitely happen. By this “servant” (1) we will definitely see God’s glory. He is truly our Savior Jesus Christ who saves us from our sin.
In verse 1 are the words, “Here is my servant”. God is introducing his servant to us. God introduces him as “my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight.” (1) In chapter 41 we are told to “see” (41:29) that the idols “are all false! Their deeds amount to nothing.” (41:29) However, this “servant” is different. This is the Savior that will bring us God’s kingdom. “Here he is: Jesus Christ, God’s servant, the Messiah!
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts. 4:12)
Depend on him and put all in his hands. Even if you don’t know what the future holds, he knows everything about you including your future. He is able to declare “new things”(9) to you. He is the Savior that can save you. Therefore, to put all in his hands is the wisest thing to do. Though we don’t know what is ahead of us and we worry, and even if by our own strength we desperately try to open the future, there is no guarantee. Sometimes things go contrary to our expectations. However, God will definitely not betray our expectations. God through his own “servant” (1) became our salvation. Therefore, you can put all in his hands. You can put your future in his hands. That is the wisest thing to do. God has promised you that through his own “servant” (1) he will bring you “justice (God’s kingdom) on earth.” (4) What you must do is depend on the Lord’s “servant”, the Savior Jesus Christ and put all of your life in his hands. Then God will perform a mighty work in your life.

Verse 21 says, “’Present your case,’ says the LORD.
‘Set forth your arguments,’ says Jacob’s King.”
“Your” (21) are the gods of the “idols”. (22) Here the Lord is calling to the gods of the idols saying to come bring their evidence “so we may know that you are gods.” (23) In other words, so that we can know who the real God is. If the idols are real gods then they must have proof of it. It is only by God showing proof that he is God that we discern that he is legitimate. In today’s passage it really shows that the Lord is the real God. Today I would like to talk about 3 aspects of the Lord really being God.

I. Tell us what is going to happen (Vs. 22-24)
First let’s look at verses 22 to 24. I will read verses 22 and 23. “Tell us you idols, what is going to happen. Tell us what the former things were, so that we may consider them. Or declare to us the things to come, tell us what the future holds, so we may know that you are gods. Do something, whether good or bad, so that we will be dismayed and filled with fear.”
Here the Lord says, “Tell us you idols, what is going to happen.” (22) The God who can tell us “what is going to happen” (22) is the real God. The reason this says “us” (22) is because it is referring to the God and Israel. It is making God and Israel one. However, at the same time it shows that the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit, the Trinity is 3 in 1. In Genesis 1:26 God says, “Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.” It is this God.
This God sought proof from the idol gods, “Tell us you idols, what is going to happen.” (22) If it was a real god, he would be able to tell “what is going to happen.” (22) That is something that only God can do. If they can do that then it could be said that they are gods. However, they can’t. Idols can’t tell us ““what is going to happen.” (22)
However, the God of the Bible is different. The God of the Bible, the Creator God declares in advance the things of the future, “what is going to happen.” (22) A lot of things about the future are recorded in the Bible. These things are called prophecies. In reality 1/3 to 1/4 of the Bible is prophecy. That is the reason that the Bible is said to be a book of prophecy. This is one reason that the Bible is an unique book. The Bible declares in advance precisely and concretely “what is going to happen.” (22)
For example, if you look at verse 25, it says, “I have stirred up one from the north, and he comes- one from the rising sun who calls upon my name. He treads on rulers as if they were mortar, as if he were a potter treading the clay.”

This too is a prophecy. “I have stirred up one from the north。” (25) “North” (25) is Persia. The “one” (25) God has stirred up one from the north is the Persian king, Cyrus. “He comes- one from the rising sun who calls upon my name. He treads on rulers as if they were mortar, as if he were a potter treading the clay.” This is a prophecy that King Cyrus will come and attack Babylon. Just like a potter treads clay, King Cyrus will tread on Babylon.
This was spoken about 700 B.C. This actually occurred 150 years later in 539 B.C. In reality it was a 150 years later. At the time that these words were spoken the Persian Empire hadn’t flourished yet. At that time was the time of the Assyrian empire. After that the Babylonian empire rose. The Persian, the Medo-Persian Empire was after that. Of course, King Cyrus had not been born yet. Even so it declares with exactness the name of a person that hasn’t even been born yet. There are some people who doubt and think that is impossible so they think there was a second and third Isaiah and in a later age they wrote it and added it on. However, it can be said that if God is omniscient and omnipotent it should instead be proof that the Creator God is the real God.
Often people say that Christianity, Islam, and Buddhism are all the same. They say that all religions are good. However, in reality that is wrong. They say that because in reality they have not studied the Word of God much. A person, who knows the Bible well, will definitely not say such a thing. Who can tell us “what is going to happen?” (22) The Bible is not just a text book. It is not just an ethics book. Nor is it just a psychological book either. It is not the kind of book that if you read it your heart becomes calm. Of course, it does have that side to it, but that is not its main one. If you read it for that purpose, you may stumble when you face realities that are not like that. The Bible shows the Lord is truly God, and to know how God has intervened in human history and to follow Him, and to live honoring God is a joy given to us mankind and a blessing. Also if this God is a real God, he can tell us “what is going to happen” (22) with exactness and concreteness. That is the Bible.
II Peter 1:21
This is the decisive differential point between the Bible and other books. In the world there are many frauds such as the Great prophecy of Nostradamus or the Maya prophecy. However, it is very difficult to say that they are prophecies. That’s because they are always off. Just recently too, according to the Maya prophecy mankind will be destroyed on Dec. 21, 2012 was off. Since the prophecy was off, the excuse was given that there was a mistake in the calculations. They changed their mind commenting that when they calculated it well it is the year 2015, not 2012. When they are off like this they postpone it, and postpone it, but that is nothing more than fraud. It is only ensnaring people into fear and confusion.
However, the Bible is different. The Bible “never had its origin in the will of man, but men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit” (II Peter 1:21) so what is spoken is for sure fulfilled. You will never be betrayed. Naturally, if this is prophesized as the Words of God and if it isn’t fulfilled, the prophet’s life will be taken. Then the God that the person who spoke the prophecy believed in too will be thought of negatively. If the prophet was off by even by one thing, he had to die. Therefore, you can see that the prophets of that age spoke putting their life on the line. They couldn’t talk irresponsibly. From this the Bible was made. Therefore, you can see that the Bible is worth believing in. It is worth putting your life at stake for. This is Christianity. I think you will understand that this point is completely different from other religions.
Of course, in the Old Testament there are many prophecies about Jesus Christ. Christ is the Messiah, the Savior. It was clearly prophesized where this Christ would be born, what kind of life he would live, how he would suffer, how he would die, and how he would rise again. In reality he was prophesized about directly over 300 times, including indirectly over 350 times. Therefore, if you look at the Old Testament you will know clearly what the coming Messiah, the Savior will be like. Also the Old Testament clearly declares that Jesus of Nazareth is truly Jesus who died on the cross and 3 days later rose from the grave is really the Savior. One significance is it can be said that the New Testament is a book of proof. It verifies how the Messiah that is prophesized about in the Old Testament is fulfilled in Jesus Christ. It is said that the evangelist, Paul, had a major impact on the world wide spread of Christianity. However, how Paul evangelized was he went to the Jewish synagogue and spoke the Word of God. The reason why he went to the Jewish synagogue was because they all believed in the Old Testament. He showed them who the Messiah that was written about in the Old Testament was. He argued about it from the Old Testament. Then many people only by hearing the Words of the Bible, believed. That is because Buddhism, Christianity, and Judaism are not on the same level. In Christianity there is the assurance that Jesus is truly Christ, the Savior. That’s because Jesus is truly the Messiah that was prophesized ahead of time in the Old Testament.
“Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved.” (Acts 4:12)
This is assurance. 2000 years have passed since then. Now after 2000 years have passed through the testimonies of the people who lived in the New Testament time, we can know what the person Jesus was like. Wr can know clearly that Jesus is really the Messiah, the Savior that was prophesized about in the Old Testament. At the same time this is declaring about things that have not been fulfilled yet. That is the end of the world. It is also declaring about the Millennium which by the second coming of Jesus Christ will be brought in and then the new heaven and the new earth, the new Jerusalem that will continue to come after that. Also by looking at how everything that has been said up until now has all been fulfilled, we can believe that the things that have been prophesized to happen from now on too will 100% occur. It is more reliable and certain than the prediction of earthquakes. Recently too big earthquakes are continuously occurring in succession. Scientists are going mad trying to figure out how we can predict when earthquakes will occur. I will give the conclusion: No matter how much scientific data you analyze, you can’t predict an earthquake. Therefore, it is more important to be prepared so you’re o.k. whenever the earthquake comes. However, because in the Bible it is recorded that the Lord’s second coming and after that the coming of the Millennium will definitely occur so it is more important to prepare for that. How should we prepare?
If you look at verse 22, an interesting thing is said. That is “Tell us what the former things were.” “What the former things were” (22) everyone knows. Anyone can tell us that so why would the Lord say, “Tell us what the former things were”? (22) This is not just to tell what has happened before, but to declare and look at what the events mean. If you can’t correctly talk about the true accounts and meaning of the past, then you can’t correctly talk about the future either. Only those that know the world had a beginning and that world was made by God; moreover, it was made orderly and in it man was specially made to be like God, in the image of God can declare “what is going to happen.” (22) It is like someone rowing a rowboat. The person rowing the boat has his back to the future and while looking at the past rows towards the future. It is the same. Only those who can look at the past history, and know correctly who God is can declare “what is going to happen” (22) in the future. This is only by knowing the Creator God that made the heaven and the earth. There is no other way.
When we know this God, we know how much God loves us and how God is concerned about us. By our effort and work we are never made righteous. We know that it is only by believing is God’s only son, Jesus Christ that we are saved. We know that is our preparation for the things that are going to happen, and the preparation for eternity.
The other day, a life insurance salesman came. He came to confirm the insurance that we are in. In the conversation I mentioned that I am a Christian so I believe in God. I said something like in the world people believe what the superiors or the country say, but what the country is saying changes over and over again so I don’t believe what it says. Therefore, I believe in God who never changes. Then the salesman said, “In my office there is a Christian. 3 times a week he has training and so he takes a holiday.” I said that he is probably not a Christian, but a Jehovah’s witness. Christians don’t have trainings all the time and don’t take holidays like that. Then I asked him if he believed in Jesus. Then he answered, “No, Actually, I’m Sokka Gakai. Now I listened to various things, but I thought people that believe are different“. I thought OH, Sokka Gakai!, but there are some Sokkai Gakai who become saved so I decided not to give up and continue witnessing to him. “Sokka Gakai are very zealous. However, do you know the difference between Sokka Gakai and Christianity?” Then he answered, “In Sokka Gakai you can’t just believe. You have to work hard. You can’t be saved by just believing.”
I said, “That’s right. Doing things by one’s own power. It’s a world of how hard you can work. That is what is important, but our strength has limits, doesn’t it? No matter how much strength a person has there are limits to what he can do. Even if we are proud of our strength it is still not much. What is important is to believe in God’s grace.”
This person seems like a very serious, and sincere person and said, “I came to talk about insurance and I’m sorry, but we got off on this subject. Please tell me about this again” and he left. How we understand how we are saved, determines the road we take.
How we accept what is declared in the Bible and the salvation that is shown in the Bible is connected to knowing “what is going to happen” (22) and preparing for it. We need to remember in our life to turn our back on the future, and while looking at the past move on to the future.

II. An amazing work (Vs. 25-27)
Next please look at verses 25 to 27. I will read verses 26 and 27. “Who told of this from the beginning, so we could know, or beforehand, so we could say, ‘He was right’? No one told of this, no one foretold it, no one heard any words from you. I was the first to tell Zion, ‘Look, here they are!’ I gave to Jerusalem a messenger of good news.”
“Of this” in verse 26 is the contents of verse 25. Concretely this is as I said earlier, God is going to raise up a person “from the north”. (25) He will tread ”on rulers.” (25) This is a prophecy that Medo-Persian Empire’s King Cyrus will rise up, and overthrow Babylon. He will come to Babylon and tread on the rulers “as if he were a potter treading the clay.” (25) Before King Cyrus who was sent by the Lord, the nation’s rulers were completely unable to resist and will be submissive.
Here it says, “and he comes-one from the rising sun who calls on my name.” (25) This interpretation is difficult. Looking at this the image seems like King Cyrus knew God, like he believed in God, but that is not so. King Cyrus was a Gentile and didn’t believe in the Lord. He didn’t believe in the Creator God.

If you look at Ezra 1:2 it says, “This is what Cyrus king of Persia says; ‘The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth and he has appointed me to build a temple for him at Jerusalem in Judah.” Cyrus was a Gentile and didn’t believe in the Lord, but he used the Lord’s name in his decree and was used for the realization of the Lord’s work. It is really amazing. It was a surprising mysterious work. Who could think of such a thing? Who could declare of this before hand? No one can. Only the Lord planned this and accomplished this. Only the Lord made King Cyrus appear, destroy Babylon, and could have his people return to Jerusalem. In verse 27it says, “a messenger of good news.” These are the prophets. Through such prophets the Lord proclaimed repeatedly over and over again the destruction of Babylon and the victory of King Cyrus, and the liberation of Israel. This is the Gospel.
This is the work of God. God’s work of salvation is not by the way that we can think of, but a way that we never ever thought about. Jesus was put on the cross and died because “without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness. (Hebrews 9:22) . However, now Jesus “has appeared once for all at the end of the ages to do away with sin by the sacrifice of himself.” (Hebrews 9:26) This is God’s method of salvation.
Some people think that Jesus’ cross is a coincidental event, or like a martyr, but that is definitely not so. So that we can be saved, the Messiah had to take upon himself our sins in our place, and he had to die. Please open your Bibles to Isaiah 53. Here it prophesizes about what the coming Messiah will do.
“Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows,
yet we considered him stricken by God,
smitten by him, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions,
he was crushed for our iniquities;
the punishment that brought us peace was upon him,
and by his wounds we are healed.
We all, like sheep, have gone astray,
each of us has turned to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all.
He was oppressed and afflicted,
yet he did not open his mouth;
he was led like a lamb to the slaughter,
and a sheep before her shearers is silent,
so he did not open his mouth
By oppression and judgment he was taken away.
And who can speak of his descendants?
For he was cut off from the land of the living;
for the transgression of my people he was stricken.
He was assigned a grave with the wicked,
and the rich in his death,
though he had done no violence,
nor was any deceit in his mouth.
Yet it was the LORD’s will to crush him and cause him to suffer,
and though the LORD makes his life a guilt offering,
he will see his offspring and prolong his days,
and the will of the LORD will prosper in his hand.”(54:4-10)
Just as this prophecy says, Christ was put on the cross for us and died. Who has ever thought of this? No one. Therefore, when Jesus was put on the cross, many people were scattered here and there. However, that was the work of God. God does not think the way we think, but by a completely mysterious method led us. We must leave all in the Lord’s hands. Not be how you think, but learn how the Lord is things and leave all in his hands.

III. The idols amount to nothing (Vs. 28-29)
Lastly let’s look at verses 28 and 29. “I look but there is no one-
no one among the gods to give counsel,
no one to give answer when I ask them.
See, they are all false!
Their deeds amount to nothing;
their images are but wind and confusion.
There are many idols around us, but when we “ask them” (29) none of them answer. There are many fortune tellers around us. In all regular women’s magazines there is almost always a column on fortunetelling. On our cell phones too, on the internet too, on the television every morning too “Today’s fortune”, there are fortunetelling. However, fortunetelling is declared as if it is so, but it is completely unreliable. Moreover, if we are bound by it, we can’t move. It is just something to relieve the vague sense of fear towards the future. If you ask a Japanese, “When you run into a crisis, what do you depend upon?”, the most common response is “mass media”. They depend upon the T.V. and the internet. However, such things are false, and can’t give correct advice. Just as verse 29 says, “Their deeds amount to nothing;
Their images are but wind and confusion.”
They are only images made in the form of man’s desires. They “amount to nothing.” (29)

The other day there was a denominational pastoral meeting so I went to Tokyo. I wanted to relax so I took the Shinkansen. However, it wasn’t very relaxing. That was because I got to the station o.k. in the morning, but I couldn’t find my cell phone. I searched the car and my bag, but no matter how much I searched I couldn’t find it. I didn’t have any more time so I decided to look for it when I got back. However, I couldn’t relax. I had set it up so I could receive the calls that came to the church on my cell phone so I was worried someone might call. Also I was worried that maybe someone would pick up and use it. I thought of many things as I arrived in Ueno.
I thought that being up tight like this was not good so in order to calm myself, I took mouth wash out of pocket and gave several squirts into my mouth. Immediately a terrible taste spread throughout my mouth. What I thought was mouth wash and took from my desk was eye glass cleaner. When I thought about it when I got new glasses they gave me cleaner. I had sprayed it by mistake. Immediately I went to the faucet and rinsed out my mouth, but I felt really like I didn’t “amount to nothing” (29)
“See, they are all false!
Their deeds amount to nothing.” (29)
If we make a mistake and think they are like god then that amounts to nothing. The real God is Jesus Christ. There is salvation in no one else. The real God can tell us “what is going to happen” (22) accurately and concretely. This God is worth depending upon. This God does an amazing work and leads your life. Please depend up Him. The Lord only is the real God. Please look to Him and depend only on Him. Then you too will experience a greater work of God than you ever dreamed of.

From the beginning of Isaiah 41 it said that the Lord is God. The Lord strengthens, helps, and guides Israel. That is because Israel has been chosen by God to be his servant. Therefore, no matter what happens God will never abandon them. God is with them and will help them and watch over them. Then in today’s passage it says how God will help them and watch over them.

I. Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob (Vs. 14)
First of all please look at verse 14. “’Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob,
little Israel, do not fear,
For I myself will help you,’ declares the LORD,
your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.”
Here God is calling Israel “worm Jacob”. (14) Israel’s original name was Jacob. It means “someone who grasps the heal”, or “someone who pushes aside”. The name was changed to Israel, meaning “someone controlled by God”. Now this is also the name of a country. However, it was originally Jacob. It was “someone who grasps the heel”, “someone who pushes aside”, or “someone who is crafty”. To those who are just like a worthless worm that is trampled over and is finished, who it doesn’t matter if they are there or not, who are so small and weak, God is saying, “Do not be afraid, you worm Jacob, little Israel, do not fear,” (14)
Compared to the other countries around them Israel was “little”, (14) but they don’t need to be afraid or fearful. That is because “’I myself will help you,’ declares the LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel.” (14) This is also written in 43:1-3.
Isaiah 43:1-3
“Redeem” (43:1) is to “pay the price and buy”. Just like when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt and the Lord redeemed them (Exodus 15:13), the Lord will redeem God’s people, Israel, from their chains. The Lord will redeem Israel who is like a worm, scorned from the earth; the Lord will redeem them so the Lord is their Redeemer and Savior. The Lord will help them and take care of them. Therefore, they are not to be afraid or fearful.
The same can be said of Christians. The people who gather at church are “little” (14), few. There are times when we feel insecure about what we can do with so few members, but “Do not be afraid…Do not fear.” (14) That is because God has redeemed you. God’s only son, Jesus Christ bought you with his precious blood. As a result we are in God’s eyes precious and valuable. Even if you pass through water or cross through a river, you will certainly not be swept away. Even if you walk in fire, you won’t be burnt. That’s because “the Holy One of Israel” (14) is “your Redeemer,” (14) your Savior. We have a tendency to be despaired with our small being, but let’s not forget that the Lord is encouraging us who are like that saying to us “do not fear, for I myself will help you.” (14) We must continue to listen to His voice.
At a small church in Shimodate City in Ibaraki Prefecture, last October, a member that was one of the main workers in the church collapsed. His life was saved, but he was left with the aftereffects of the sickness and half of his body doesn’t move. After finishing a half of year of rehabilitation in the hospital, he returned to his house. Using a cane he was able to walk a little at a time, but he realized a problem. That is if there is no handicap restrooms then he can’t go anywhere. There was no western toilet with hand bars at the church. Even though he got where he could walk a little, he couldn’t go to church! He thought if only he could go to church. People starting talking about remodeling the restrooms, but there was no money. It was such a small church that they hadn’t been able to pay their share of contributions to the denomination, so how could they pay for remodeling! But even so they continued moving on with the plan. They started talking about remodeling in the middle of June and by the end of July it had materialized. The restrooms’ lowered floors became barrier free and a western toilet and hand rails were put in. Amazingly, the money needed for the restroom to be remodeled was collected.
That the restrooms were remodeled maybe not such an important thing, but God did it. We tend to be pessimistic about what such a small church can do, but God who is with us greatly surpasses all things in this world. He redeemed us. He is with us and helps us. Therefore, even if we are a small flock, we don’t have to be despaired. What is necessary is that we believe in God who redeemed us, and that we look to God. If so, then something will naturally happen. Of course the church is a small flock but, when we look to our Redeemer, our Savior, who redeemed us, we can start moving into a future that we never dreamed of.

II. I will make you into a new threshing sledge (Vs. 15,16)
Next please look at verses 15 and 16. “See, I will make you into a threshing sledge, new and sharp, with many teeth. You will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff. You will winnow them, the wind will pick them up, and a gale will blow them away. But you will rejoice in the LORD and glory in the Holy One of Israel.”

Here God says that he will make Israel “into a threshing sledge, new and sharp.” (15) According to the commentary on Isaiah by Alec Motyer, he explains that this “threshing sledge” (15) had a heavy wooden base with a sharp sledge on the bottom. It was a stone sledge. By threshing it the head of grain was made into grain kernels. Therefore, when it becomes old from use, the sledge becomes rounded and the grain does not fall off well. However, when it is replaced with a new stone sledge, by the sharp stone, there was a big yield. God is saying that He is going to make Israel “into a threshing sledge, new and sharp.” (15) Jacob who was thought to be equal to a worm, worthless, who were trampled on and died will be made “into a threshing sledge, new and sharp.” (15) What a change! They will be made into a new threshing sledge and “will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff.” (15) We can’t tear down mountains. In our life there are so many mountains! There are times when right before our eyes mountains arise and block us and we can’t move forward. However, God remakes Jacob who is like a worm in a new threshing sledge and threshes the mountains and hills and crushes them into powder. This is what God does.
Last year I went to America and was surprised by the huge Church that we went to. About 5,000 people at one time met and worshipped. I wondered for that many people how many people were serving. Looking around I saw that a sufficient amount were serving. Some people helped seat the people who came in one after another. Others collected the offering and other helped with the music. To put it in one word, it was awesome. I think almost all the people were laymen, but they were happily serving.
How could they do that? Where did their strength come from? It doesn’t have anything to do with whether the church is big or small. It has nothing to do with that. It is because they are full of grace and strength from above that makes them new. If you are full of that strength you can gladly serve. You become thankful for living. What is necessary for us is to always be full of the Holy Spirit, God’s graceful strength that comes from above that makes us new. Without that when we do something we feel tired or that it’s hard, or wonder if what we are doing has any purpose and we are discontent and complain. When we are really humble and pray for the Lord to be his servant and be used by Him and give ourselves to God then God will fill us with new strength and new grace. You too can become “a threshing sledge, new and sharp.” (15)
In reality God said, “I myself will help you.” (14) “I have chosen you and have not rejected you.” (8) “You will thresh” (15) your enemies “and crush them. (15) No matter how small a worm you are or how far you have fallen, God will make you new and help you.

We can’t even begin to compare our church with the American church, but comparing isn’t necessary. What is important is whether we are full of God’s grace and strength from of above or not. No matter how much unhappiness you have, even if you go through the melancholy of tears to have a living faith of believing in God and living in the hope that God will save you is noble. Even though you have been told, “I am your God” (10) the problem is whether you are coming before God or not. No matter how small a worm you are, if you come before God and believe in what God does and follow him, your life will be changed into a victorious life where “you will thresh the mountains and crush them, and reduce the hills to chaff.” (15) A life where God helps you, not only you, but your neighbor will have a profitable life and you can walk a worthy life.

III. Water flows in the desert (Vs. 17-20)
Lastly let’s look at verses 17 to 20. First let’s read verse 17. “The poor and needy search for water, but there is none; their tongues are parched with thirst. But I the LORD will answer them; I, the God of Israel, will not forsake them.”
This is not only salvation from foreign enemies, but is promising salvation from death by hunger and thirst. Israel who was captive to Babylon was in the circumstances of depending upon mercy. Even if they searched and sought for water, they couldn’t obtain it. They were struggling so much from thirst that their tongues were parched. However, God answered them, and watered their thirst. No matter how troubled a person is or no matter how much a poor person seeks water, his thirst is not healed and his tongue is “parched with thirst”, (17) but if the Lord is with him, the Lord will answer him and he will be completely healed. Israel’s God will surely not abandon him.
That’s not all. Please look at verses 18 and 19. “I will make rivers flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys. I will turn the desert into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs. I will put in the desert the cedar and the acacia, the myrtle and the olive. I will set junipers in the wasteland, the fir and the cypress together.”
This is a prophecy that Israel, who by the captivity of Babylon was in the midst of struggling with no hope, will be restored. A life with God is a life watered by the rains of grace. Rivers will “flow on barren heights, and springs within the valleys.” (18) The desert will turn “into pools of water, and the parched ground into springs.” (18) In the desert cedar, acacia, myrtle and olive trees will be planted. It will be like a new creation. This will be fulfilled at the end of the world. In the course of time the Millennium will come and there God will bring this new creation just as it says. However, what we

should be surprised about is that even now we can see it being fulfilled a little at a time. Now in Israel we can see such development. In the desert water is running and many trees have been planted.
2000 years ago Israel by the persecution of the Roman Empire was dispersed. For a long time they lost their homeland. Until around the time of World War I Israel was for about 400 years under the control of the Ottoman Turk Empire. When the Ottoman Turks received taxes from the Arabs who had settled in Palestine, since they could pay the taxes in timber the Arabs that did not want to pay taxes cut trees down not from their own lands, but from Israel and paid it as tax. For that reason the land was devastated and became completely wasteland and the ground parched. It became worthless land that had gone wild.
In World War I England won over the Ottoman Turk Empire so under the rule of England the Jews settled in Israel. Then from Palestine they bought land at unreasonable prices, and they changed it into green land.
At the time of the Second World War, by the Nazi’s Holocaust 1/3 of the Jews in the world were slaughtered and the world’s sympathy went out to the Jews. Then it was thought that the Jews who had lost their homeland for 1900 years should be given a country. The United Nations too worked on it and on May 14, 1948 the Republic of Israel was able to gain its independence. Israel who for 1900 years had been a wandering people, were able to reinstate their country. What is humanly speaking completely unthinkable became a reality. It is even said that this is the miracle of the present age. This actually happened.
However, the surrounding Arab countries that didn’t like and didn’t accept this started wars. This was beginning of the wars of the Middle East. However, Israel has repeatedly won wars, and has made the country’s establishment certain. At the same time, during that time Israel has changed the condition of the parched land into green land. It has made the best use of high technological farming, and has become a world agricultural power. The amount of trees that have been planted in order to make forests is over 200.020,000. The land that was that parched they succeeded in making into green land.
This prophecy will be completely fulfilled in the Millennium which will come about later. However, in the present age too it is being fulfilled little by little. This shows that this prophecy will certainly be fulfilled. Also this is not so far in the future. It could happen within the age we are living in. The day that the Lord returns and establishes the Millennium on this earth is near. I can’t say when it will be. If I say when, then I will be a heretic. However, I feel that it is not so far away.
At the same time, this is for us living Christians who believe in Jesus, the living water that comes to our souls. Even if we haven’t seen the completion as these words say, God has brought this new creation to our hearts. He makes rivers in our dry, parched hearts, makes “springs within the valleys.” (18) He turns “the desert into pools of water and the parched ground into springs.” (18) Then there he abundantly plants cedar, acacia, myrtle, olive, and various trees and waters them.
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.” (John 7:37, 38)
It’s been 34 years since my wife came to Japan, but in reality before that for 1 year when she was a college student she had the experience of coming to Japan as an exchange student. The Japanese family that she lived with lives in Tokyo. Even now she has continued to consider them as her Japanese mother and father. When we got married her American parents couldn’t come so the father walked her down the aisle.
This person last fall got uremia, a sickness where you can’t urinate. It got inside of his head and he lost consciousness. We heard that he was in the hospital for two weeks, and remarkably recovered and was able to return home so two weeks ago we went to see them.
His daughter had told us that he had become quite senile so we were surprised that he remembered so well the past. Sometimes he even told jokes as he joyfully talked. In reality one other reason that we went was that we wanted them to believe in Jesus. While they were still able to understand we wanted to share the Gospel. However each time I tried to talk the conversation would quickly change and went another direction. I wasn’t able to share.
Then it became time to go. In my heart I was disappointed and felt that I had failed. Then the mother brought a wall hanging that a Buddhist priest had written. Even though she knew I was a pastor she said she would give it to us. It had the word “love”. written on it. She said she would give us the wall hanging and an ornament that she had bought as a souvenir when they went to some Southeastern country. Then in an instant words like this came out of my mouth. “Oh, I don’t have anything to give to you, but I want to give the love of Jesus so I’ll pray. Is that o.k.?” Then the father said to please do so. I forgot what I prayed, but I prayed from my heart. When I finished praying the father with deep emotion said, “That was the best present of all.”
Jesus said, “If anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink.” (John 7:37) Jesus didn’t say, If anyone is thirsty, if you go over there, you will get filled. He said, “let him come to me and drink.” (John 7:37) Jesus is the only one who can say that. There is no one else. There is no other teaching that can say, “let him come to me and drink.” (John 7:37) They can give you road information by introducing you to what heals them or what fills them, but they can’t be the road. Only Jesus can say, “Come to me and drink. That is because Jesus truly can soak our thirsty heart with water.
“I am the way and the truth and the life.” (John 14:5)
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened.” (Matt. 11:28)
If you are thirsty, please come to Jesus. Please drink the water that Jesus gives. Whoever believes in Christ “as the Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him.” (John 7:37) At that time you will “consider and understand, that the hand of the LORD has done this, that the Holy One of Israel has created it.” (20) Even in the midst of a thirsty life like the desert, daily we need to go to the Lord’s springs of grace and continue to drink from there the overflowing water of life.