日: 2014年1月20日

Today’s message is from Isaiah.  Although Israel was a people loved by God, they turned their backs on God and went away from God. As a result they became sick, and were wounded.  They were strongly exhausted from the top of their head to the tip of their toes. To such an Israel God showed the way to reconciliation.  If they will repent, God promises to forgive their sin, and cleanse them from all evil. This pattern is repeated over and over again in the book of Isaiah.

This is repeated again in today’s passage.  In today’s passage Israel is called

“the faithful city”. (21) However, “the faithful city has become a prostitute!” (21) This passage describes how Israel will be restored. Today I would like to talk about three aspects of Israel’s restoration.

1. What “the faithful city” (21) that has become degraded is like
2. The plan of God for the restoration of “the faithful city” (21)
3. What needs to be done for the restoration

 

1. The faithful city which has become a prostitute (vs. 21-23)

First, let’s look at what “the faithful city” (21) that has become degraded is like. Please look at verses 21 to 23.

Here God laments, “See how the faithful city has become a prostitute!” (21) “The faithful city” is Jerusalem, in other words, Israel.  Jerusalem was made to be sincere with her whole heart, to be a “faithful city” (21) with no lies.  It “once was full of justice; (and) righteousness”. (21)  Even so, it “has become a prostitute!” (21) Here God likens his relationship with Israel to a relationship of a married couple.  For a married couple the most important thing is faithfulness. The husband, God, is lamenting because faithfulness has been lost.  Israel has turned her back on the covenant that God has given her, and has become disobedient, and unfaithful.  God saw her turn her heart to idols, and is lamenting, “See how the faithful city has become a prostitute!” (21)

In the Bible with the exception of Jesus probably the person who was the most full of justice; (and) righteousness” (21) was David.  David committed adultery with Bathsheba, but towards God he was really faithful. He recognized that everything was under the sovereignty of God.  He had the chance to kill Saul when he was in the cave, but David didn’t harm him.  That is because David knew that Saul was the anointed King.  Therefore, he only cut the hem of Saul’s clothes, but even so, his conscious felt bad.  That was because he recognized that everything was under the sovereignty of God.  He recognized that the good things and the bad things, all that happens in his life, everything came from God.  That is how much he feared God and followed God.  This type of faithfulness is needed.

However, Israel was not like this.  They turned their back on the covenant they were given from God. They became unfaithful, impure, and their hearts turned to idols. That is just like silver that has become dross or choice wine that “is diluted with water”. (22)  Verse 22 says, “Your silver has become dross, your choice wine is diluted with water.” “Dross” (22) refers to scum produced by impurities in the metal.  When such impurities enter the silver, then it loses its value. “Choice wine” is the same.  If you add water, the taste will be weak. The easiest way to understand is to think of coca cola.  If you diluted coca cola it wouldn’t taste very good.  When something isn’t pure, but has something added to it, it’s no longer the real thing.  This is how Israel was.

The result is in verse 23.  “Your rulers are rebels, partners with thieves; they all love bribes and chase after gifts.  They do not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow’s case does not come before them.” The result of them being separated from God was that especially the leaders of the country became like “partners with thieves”. (23)  They “love bribes and chase after gifts”. (23) They live by instinct and become like animals.　As a result their ethics deteriorated, “dog eat dog” battles were repeated over and over again, the degradation of the government, and immorality spread. Israel refused their creator and Lord so they fell to immorality.

This isn’t just Israel. Our present day society is like this too.  When deeply sinning mankind refuses God and lives selfishly, he seeks after things that can be seen.  As a result degradation and destruction occur and their lives become confused.

Jesus said, “You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled underfoot.“ Matt. 5:13 Salt is of no use if it is no salty. Such salt is useless, and will be thrown outside and people will walk on it. We as Christians must fully fulfill the role as salt in the world.

We are called to be the bride of Christ and to be faithful. “No one can serve two masters.  Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to one and despise the other.  You cannot serve both God and money.“ Matt. 6:24 We must concentrate on Jesus’ heart and thoughts.  God wants us to be faithful. This is what Christians are called to do.

 

1. The restoration of the faithful city (vs. 24-27)

Please look at verses 24 to 27.

We can see in verse 24 that God is going to judge this Israel. “Therefore the Lord, the LORD Almighty, the Mighty One of Israel, declares; ‘Ah! I will vent my wrath on my foes and avenge myself on my enemies.’” “Therefore” (24) refers to the fact that “the faithful city has become a prostitute!”(21)  Israel had “become a prostitute!” (21) and did “not defend the cause of the fatherless; the widow’s case does not come before them.” (23). “Therefore” (24) God is going to judge Israel.

Here God’s name is “the LORD Almighty” (24) and “the Mighty One of Israel”. (24)  “The LORD Almighty” (24) is a designation for God which has a military meaning blended into it.  “The Mighty One” refers to God’s omnipotence.  In other words, not matter how much power and strength the Israelite leaders had, “the LORD Almighty” (24) had far much more power and strength and will fight for “the fatherless” (23) and “the widows”. (23) Then those who were treasonous will be paid back.

However, when we look at verse 25 we can see that God’s judgment does not just occur so that they will be judged, but God’s judgment occurs for the purpose that the impurities will be taken out of them and they will be restored.

Verses 25, 26

This is a prophecy about the Great Tribulation

Daniel 9:27

Daniel prophesized that in the end times there will be Tribulation for seven years. That is for “one week” (Daniel 9:27). “One week” (Daniel 9:27) refers to 7 years.  Therefore, half a week is three and a half days, so in other words, it is three and a half years.  In the seven year period of Tribulation, in the last half, the later three and a half years the tribulations will reach the extremes so it is called the Great Tribulation.  The Jews will go through this tribulation period.  During this Great Tribulation by the suffering the scum (doss, vs. 25) will melt like lye, and can be removed. In other words, their unbelief will be removed and they will repent and believe in Jesus Christ.  They will be given a new heart that follows God. Like this all of Israel will be saved and the prophecies of the Bible will be fulfilled. Let’s look at the prophecies of Jeremiah.

Jeremiah 31:31-33

Also Ezekiel, Ezekiel 36:24-27

This is how God’s Kingdom, the Millennium will appear. During the Tribulation there will be those Israelites who repent and are given a faith in Jesus Christ and they are born again and are changed. During the Millennium they fear and honor God from their hearts. With all their hearts, and with all their soul, and with all their might they follow God’s commands.  The Jerusalem will become “the City of Righteousness, the FaithfulCity.” (26) God has a plan to restore Israel in this way.  Therefore, in verse 27 it says, “Zion will be delivered with justice, her penitent ones with righteousness.” (27)

Zion will not be restored by military strength or political strength, but by “justice” (27) and “righteousness”. (27)  The NIV translation does not use the word “redeem”.  However, a word by word translation of the later part of this verse would be, “Those that return of her (in other words, those that are converted) shall be redeemed with righteousness.”  To redeem means to pay the price and buy.  The price that God paid was God’s son Jesus Christ. By the Son, Jesus Christ the new citizens who live in Zion were bought.  By repenting of their sins and believing in Jesus Christ, Zion is redeemed.  In the last days, this time will surely come.

This is what God has planned. Sometimes we too have difficult trials, but the purpose of them is not to destroy us, but so that the scum in us can be removed.  God is giving us such trials so that we will return to our pure faith “as in days of old…as at the beginning.”(26)

God always runs after those who sin and start to get off the race course of faith.  That is not to judge the person. God loves that person. God gives trials so that he can bring that person back to God’s love.

In America every year thousands of cars are stolen.  Once in Los Angeles a car was stolen. This was a daily thing, nothing special, but all of America paid attention to it.  That was because the owner of the car was planning to go to his cabin in the mountains on the weekend.  The cabin was overrun with mice so the person had prepared poisonous crackers to kill the mice with and put them in the car.  After he got in the car, he remembered that he forgot something and went back in the house.  Just then the burglar came and stole his car.

The man whose car was stolen called the police. “My car was stolen! In the car were poisonous crackers to kill mice.  If the burglar eats the crackers by mistake, he will die! Hurry and catch him!”

The police used patrol cars and every other method to try to catch the burglar. It was on the T.V. and radio. Then the man that stole the car thought that everyone in Los Angeles and California was desperately trying to catch him, so he tried hard to run away.  The police were desperately trying to catch him so he would be saved. However, the burglar didn’t know that that was why they were chasing him so he thought if he was caught that he would be brought to court so he desperately ran away.

It is the same with us.  God wants to save our lives.  Therefore, he is running after those people who have sinned and are separated from God.  That is because he wants to save us. Therefore, God gives trials and in the midst of them gives us warnings to repent and leads us to the right road. Please open your Bibles to I Peter 1:6,7

I Peter 1:6,7

We can rejoice when we are in the midst of trials.  That is because “now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials”, (I Peter 1:6) Through the trials we are purified, and we know that some day it will “result in praise, glory and honor”. (I Peter 1:7) God is making us to be like God.  This is “of greater wroth than gold… refined by fire.” (I Peter 1:7) Therefore, Paul says in I Cor. 10:13, “no temptation has over taken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear.  But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.”

Satan works to try to knock us down, but God makes it possible for us to bear it. When we have trials we may come close to being knocked down, but God always supports us, and “he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.” (I Cor. 10:13) We must not look at the trials itself, but at the hope that is in front of the trial.

 

1. To become the FaithfulCity (vs. 28-31)

Therefore, we need to repent.  If we don’t repent, God’s judgment will come upon us. “The faithful city” (1, 26) will not be restored. Please look at verses 28 to 31.

“Rebels and sinners will both be broken, and…will perish.” (28) This type of people are “like an oak with fading leaves, like a garden without water.”(30) This is the condition of being very dried up. Then as it says in verse 31, they are like “tinder” and “a spark”. Israel is like an oak now dried up, like tinder that is set on fire and utterly destroyed. No matter how much they show off that they are strong people like “the mighty men”, (31) they will soon burn and be destroyed.  That is because they rebelled against God and do what God detests. In verse 29 it says, “You will be ashamed because of the sacred oaks in which you have delighted; you will be disgraced because of the gardens that you have chosen.” These “sacred oaks” (29) and “the gardens” (29) were places where idol worship took place. Prostitution was a part of these religious ceremonies. The children who were born out of prostitution were sometimes slaughtered. That is one complaint God has of Israel, “They do not defend the cause of the fatherless.” (23)  These were originally the pagan religious ceremonies of the people of Canaan.  They calmly did such things.  The recompense for doing such things was shame and disgrace.

God will restore. Jerusalem which “has become a prostitute” (1) will be “the City of Righteousness, the FaithfulCity.” (26)  To do that God will purify us. We need to remember that we have to suffer in various trials, but that not to destroy us, but is for our recovery. We need to repent and return to God. Let’s have our doubts and disobedience removed and be made into a person that does the will of God. This is the hope of recovery.  “Zion will be delivered with justice, her penitent ones with righteousness.” (27)

 

Applying this to our lives

 

1. Are you living out your faith faithfully as Christ’s bride?  “No one can serve two masters.” (Matt. 6:24) Who is your other master?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

2.           What impurity needs to be removed from you? So that you can do that, what trial is God giving you?  Have you recognized that God is working through out your whole life for you?

Today is the second message on Isaiah. Last time’s passage describes Israel who had turned her back on God, but this time’s passage I will talk about God’s grace that makes that sin as white as snow.

At a small inn in Scotland some fishermen got together and were drinking tea. At the gathering one person threw his arms around in the air as he was telling about this huge fish that he hooked, but got away.  Carelessly he hit a tea cup that              a servant was carrying, and the cup went flying, and the white wall got a brown                     stain on it. It was a mistake that happened in an instant, but the person involved in the incident felt very bad about it and pitiably apologized over and over again. A man sitting near him said “Don’t worry” and took out a pen, and started to draw a picture around the stain on the wall. Then, a big, slim deer appeared.  That person was the painter, Edwin Landseer who was painting at that time in England.  In our lives we all more or less have stains that we want to erase.  If they could be completely erased, how happy we would be!

Today I’d like to talk about three points of having these stains erased by God’s grace.

1. To hear and follow is better than sacrifices
2. No matter how deep a person’s sin is, if he repents, God will make it as white as snow, or as white as the wool of sheep.
3. Therefore, repent and listen to God and follow him.

 

1. To hear and follow is better than sacrifices (vs. 10-17)

First let’s look at what pleases God. Please look at verses 10 to 17.

Here God is calling the people of Judah, “rulers of Sodom” (10) and “people of Gomorrah” (10). Sodom and Gomorrah are pronouns for a lack of morals. For the people of Judah who properly worshipped in the temple to be called the “rulers of Sodom” (10) and “people of Gomorrah” (10) was too much! God said this because they had fallen that far.  They were living a life no different from this world.  They were living such a life that God says in verse 15, “Your hands are full of blood!” and in verse 16, “Take your evil deeds out of my sight; stop doing wrong.” They lived such lives, but even so they sacrificed many sacrifices.  They held “New Moons (festivals), Sabbaths and convocations” (13). They held “worthless assemblies,” solemn meetings for religious worship, besides the ones that God had appointed. They prayed. They prayed often, making many prayers.  They were fervent and importunate in prayer.  They spread forth their hands as men in earnest prayer.  Now we should have thought they were, and no doubt they thought themselves they were, a pious religious people.

Yet they were far from being so.  Their hearts were empty of true devotion.  Therefore, God said, “The multitude of your sacrifices-what are they to me?…I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats.” (11) God also says about the sacrifices and religious activities of practicing the Sabbath and other festivals and religious meetings, “They have become a burden to me; I am weary of bearing them.” (14)  That was because the people’s hearts were not in their sacrifices and festivals.  They were just zealous for the show and form of religion. God hates this!

God doesn’t desire ceremonious religion in form only not followed by faith. What God desires is our faith. God desires that we fear God, and live following God from our heart. Lot’s of people say that the Old Testament is the law and the New Testament is faith, but that is wrong.  The Bible says from the beginning to the end in consistency that God desires faith. Let’s look at Hebrews 11:3,4.

The Bible teaches from the beginning to the end that the most important thing is faith. What is important is whether we are following the Word of God or not.  The Jews didn’t do that. They didn’t listen to God and follow Him, but offered sacrifices.  They observed the “appointed festivals” (14) and such ceremonious things. They attached great importance to the superficial things。However, God desires the insides of our hearts.

The best example was King Saul’s act of sacrificing.  It is the contents of I Samuel 15.  The Lord said to King Saul through Samuel, “Now go, attack the Amalekites and totally destroy all that belongs to them.  Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.” (I Samuel 15:3) Therefore, King Saul attacked the Amalekites and killed all the people with the sword. However, Saul spared “the best of the sheep and cattle, the fat calves and lambs-everything that was good” (I Samuel 15:9) and didn’t destroy them. This was because he planned to use them to sacrifice to the Lord.

Then Samuel received the words of the Lord that King Saul had turned his back on the Lord’s words.  “Early in the morning Samuel got up and went to meet Saul.” (I Samuel 15:12)  As he approached the place where Saul was, he heard, “Baa-baa” and “Moo-moo” so he asked King Saul what this meant.  Saul responded, “The soldiers brought them from the Amalekites; they spared the best of the sheep and cattle to sacrifice to the LORD your God, but we totally destroyed the rest.” (I Samuel 15:15) That was nothing more than making an excuse. What God had said was, Do not spare them; put to death men and women, children and infants, cattle and sheep, camels and donkeys.” (I Samuel 15:3) However, King Saul didn’t do that. He selfishly was under the impression that God would be pleased with what he did. No matter who he asked they thought so too.  This was common sense.  However, that wasn’t what God had said. Then God said through Samuel, “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obeying the LORD? To obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed is better than the fat of rams.  For rebellion is like the sin divination, and arrogance like the evil of idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the LORD, he has rejected you as king.” (I Samuel 15:22,23)

To listen and obey is important. “To obey is better than sacrifice.” (I Samuel 15:22)  If you don’t listen and obey, no matter how good you look in human terms, there is no meaning to at all.  All that we do should be by listening to what God is saying, listening to Jesus’ commands, and obeying them. This is faith. Samuel didn’t do that.

In lots of cases we are the same and do the same thing.  Rather than doing what God is saying, doing something becomes the center of our lives.  By doing that we try to show that we are living in faith, and doing good.

At New Years we watched the movie, Simon Birch. Simon Birch was born as an unbelievably small baby, but he wasn’t pessimistic about it. He thought that the reason that he was born that way because he believed that God had some kind of special calling for him. He was a child of very deep faith. One time when the Sunday worship service was over, the Pastor said, “Down stairs coffee and donuts are being served so please join us down there.” Simon Birch remarked, “I don’t understand what donuts have to do with God. Who said that the church has to serve a Continental Breakfast after church?”  The Pastor’s remark was that they were going to enjoy the donuts while discussing the upcoming activities at the church. Simon Birch remarked again, “I don’t think that the Lord is interested in the activities of the church. If the church is only interested in activities then we are in big trouble!”

When I heard Simon Birch’s words, I thought he was really right.  God is not interested in our activities. He is concerned about whether we are listening and following God’s Word.  Knowing what God wants, what God thinks is good and accepts and then doing it is what God is concerned about.

Back to the story of Simon Birch, but he helps out a Sunday School camp for younger children, and the bus has an accident and plunges into the river.  Then Simon goes through a slightly open window that none of the leaders could fit through and helps  all the children out of the bus and gets them safely to shore. Before the camp his heart was wearing out, but his heroic work and the coldness of the river was just too much for his heart, and he dies. Just before he dies, he says, “There was a purpose that I was born small! I fulfilled my calling!”

He was so small so that he was able to fit through the small opening in the window and get the kids out. That was the calling that was given to him.  God gave him that calling, and for that purpose he lived.  God was pleased with him.  Simon Birch wanted to say that this is faith.

We too there are times when we are not careful and we lose the essence of faith. There are times when we focus on what we are going to do.  However, to listen and “to obey is better than sacrifice”. (22)  We need to have God show us through the Word of God and prayer what God desires and then do it.  That is faith.

 

1. White as snow (vs. 18)

The second point is if we repent God will forgive us. Look at verse 18.

Here the Lord says, “Come now, let us settle the matter”. (18) The word, “settle the matter” was a word used in the court.  Here God is not acting as a judge giving the sentence, but had come down from the seat of the judge to the seat of the defendant, and suggests finding together the beginning of a solution to the problem.  The proposal           that God presents for the solution is verse 18.

Vs. 18

First of all what we must know is that our “sins are like scarlet”. (18) This doesn’t say that our sins are black, but scarlet.  This is because scarlet is the color of blood. If we look at verse 15, it says, “Your hands are full of blood!” The “scarlet” of verse 18 is the “blood” of verse 15. Sin is the shedding of blood. Therefore, “scarlet”(18) is the color of our sin. It shows the stubbornness of our sin that no matter how much we wash we can’t wash it out. Our “sins are like scarlet…they are red as crimson”. (18) We have this nature. If we disregard this and make light of it, then there is no salvation. If we don’t look at this truth in the face, and try to avoid it, the Gospel will become hazy.  We want to show our good side to others.  However, the reality of sin is really deep. David Hopkins said that if we knew what was in other people’s hearts, then we will run away from our neighbors. It is all by the mercy of God, that we can be here. That’s right. People’s hearts are that crafty. In Romans 3:10-18 Paul quotes from the Psalms.

Romans 3:10-18

How terrible! “Their throat are open graves …The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.” (Romans 3:13,14) “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.” (Romans 3:23,24) This is what man is like. We mustn’t run away from this. We have to firmly accept this reality.

However, this is not the end.  From here on is the beginning, not the end. Therefore, there is hope.  There is hope of God’s salvation.  That is “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow.” (18) They shall be white “like wool”. (18) If we repent, and desire God’s salvation, in a moment our sins will become white. In I John 1:9 the following promise is recorded. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”

David not only committed adultery with Bathsheba and got her pregnant, but he also sent her husband Uriah to the front of the battle lines so he’d be killed. When the prophet Nathan pointed out to David his sin, he recognized his sin and confessed his sin. He repented. He prayed, “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” (Psalm 51:7) As a result, he was forgiven. When he repented with a broken heart, God forgave him and cleansed him from all evil.  He became completely new.

God “is faithful” (I John 1:9) and full of grace so “if we confess our sins,” he “will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (I John 1:9)  “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” (18)

A while back I saw the movie, The eraser in my head.  This is the story of a woman who developed early onset Alzheimer’s disease and her husband. It is common for someone in their years to forget things, but for someone young to have such a terrible illness is very hard. She even forgets her husband. She asks, “Who are you?” Then she mutters, “In my head I have an eraser.”

The keynote of this movie is “forgiveness”. This young wife talks about forgiveness to her husband who can’t forgive his mother for leaving him.  For a matter of fact, on the wall of the couple’s house is a picture of Jesus knocking on the door. From what I heard, the movie director that made the film, wanted through the film, to share the importance of forgiveness. Jesus did this. By Jesus dieing on the cross, by Jesus praying on the cross, “Father, Please for give them because they don’t know what they are doing”, all of our sin is forgotten in the same way as that the wife whose life ended with early onset Alzheimer’s disease forgot everything.

John 3:16

God by sending his only son, Jesus Christ to this world, by putting him on the cross, he perfectly fulfilled this promise. He loved us that much.  That was so that our sins would be forgiven and we could go to heaven; so that no matter what we would not go to hell, but go to heaven.

If we believe in Jesus, all of our sins are forgiven. The sins of the past, present, and all the sins that we commit in the future, and also conscious sins and unconscious sins, all sins are forgiven.  However, it is very difficult for us to accept this.  We can’t forget ourselves.  Especially, us who grew up in a Confucian culture it is difficult to forgive ourselves. Sins that we can solve on our own we can forgive, but things that when we realize the reality of how terrible the sin is, we can’t forgive ourselves.  That is because we are completely soaked in the sin. It is the cause of depression.  However, this is the promise.  By the one way grace of God it makes completely no matter whether we are a good person or a bad person. It depends upon whether we repent and depend upon Jesus or not. If we do that God “is faithful” (I John 1:9) and He “will forgive us of our sins.” (I John 1:9) This is the one way grace of God.

 

1. Therefore, repent (vs. 19-20)

Therefore, the third point is to repent and believe in the Gospel.  Please look at verses 19 and 20.

There are only two choices. “If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land.” (19)  However, “if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” (20) There is no middle ground. You have to choose one of the two.  You have to decide yourself.

The last king of Southern Judah is Zedekiah.  When he heard the Word of God through Jeremiah, he was hesitant.  He knew he had to follow the Word, but if he does he will be killed by the people. He was hesitant.  As a result his eyes were gouged out. He was bound in chains, and sent to Babylon. There are only two choices, “Willing and obedient” (19) or “resist and rebel” (20) and we have to choose one of them.  Japanese have the feeling at work in their hearts that they want to keep the answer vague.  They want to keep it vague so that they can go either way.  However, the Bible is very clear: be obedient or resist. If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land; but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” (19,20)

The natural man resists coming before God. If he can he tries to do things by his own strength. He says, “I don’t need God” or “I’m o.k. I can solve the problem myself.”  He avoids God and shifts to human strength like doing good things, philosophy and studying.  However human power is no good.  No matter how much you try, you can never reach heaven.  That’s how deep in sin we are.  There is only one solution that has been shown to us. That is to repent and depend upon God. Let’s be “willing and obedient“ to what God has said.

Please choose a life that depends on God. Depend on God and repent and receive the blessing of eternal life.  When you do that, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool.” (19,20)

 

 

Applying today’s Word to our lives 

 

1. Do you have the kind of faith that is “willing and obedient”? (19) In what ways or what things make it easy for you to fall into being religious in form only? Have you found the cause of this in your relationship with God?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Is there any sin that you need to repent of?  Have you accepted God’s promise that you “shall be as white as snow”?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

1. Have you decided that even if you have to make sacrifices, to walk the road of obedience and blessings?

Starting today for a while let’s study together the book of Isaiah.  We are going to study Isaiah because it is called the Old Testament book of Romans.  In the same way that the mystery of the Gospel, and the plan of salvation are systematically talked about in Romans, in Isaiah too God’s plan of salvation appears the clearest. This can be seen in the fact that Jesus and Paul quoted the most prophecies from Isaiah. This is the reason that even though chronologically the prophecies of Amos and Micah were books that were written about the same time, Isaiah appears before them.  It is the same as Romans. Paul wrote earlier letters to places like Thessalonica, but Romans is first.  In this book God’s plan of salvation appears a lot.

In the first verse of Isaiah we see, “The vision concerning Judah and Jerusalem that Isaiah son of Amoz saw during the reigns of Ussiah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, kings of Judah.” The name of Isaiah means “the Lord is salvation” or “salvation belongs to the Lord”.  Throughout this book he says that our salvation is not by a superpower in the North or South of us, but is from the Lord.  The Lord is salvation is the theme. Isaiah ministered as a prophet during the age of Ussiah, actually from the year that Ussiah died, 739 B.C., to the end of the reign of Hezekiah in 687 B.C. for about 53 years.

If you were to express in one word what this age was like, it would be “a very dangerous age”.  The country of Assyria rose up and united with the neighboring countries.  Then in 734 B.C. the people of Northern Israel were captured by Assyria and exiled. In 721 B.C. the capital, Samaria, fell. The Samaritans that appear a lot in the Bible are the descendants of the mixed marriages of the Assyrians that came to Samaria and married with the Jews there.

On the other hand, in Southern Judah Assyria had destroyed the towns near Jerusalem. All that was left was Jerusalem. At that time the King Hezekiah earnestly prayed for Judah and the Lord answered him.  Miraculously the Lord saved them. 185,000 Assyrian soldiers died in one night.  That was in 701 B.C. That was the Lord’s salvation. It is the contents of chapter 38.

However, King Hezekiah too, became proud and sinned. The king of Babylon heard the Hezekiah who had been sick had gotten better and sent messengers with a letter and present. Then Hezekiah showed them everything that was in his “storehouses-the silver, the gold, the
spices, the fine olive oil-his entire armory and everything found among his treasures.  There was nothing in his palace or in all his kingdom that Hezekiah did not show them.” (39:2) Then Isaiah came and said, “The time will surely come when everything in your palace, and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day, will be carried off to Babylon.  Nothing will be left, says the LORD.” (39:6) Just as these words say, in 605 B.C. Southern Judah was captured and exiled, and Jerusalem fell too.

In the midst of such an imminent situation, this prophecy is spoken.  In that age both Northern Israel and Southern Judah are ruined by another country and were is a dangerous condition.  Even so if they depend on the Lord, the Lord will help them out.  God wanted to tell them through many prophets that the Lord is salvation. That’s why in this age there was a high concentration of prophets. This is because God wanted to tell them what salvation is, what the real solution is in this dangerous situation. In other words, to return to God and depend on him is the real answer.  Today I would like to talk about three things about this.

 

1. Israel who turned their backs on God (vs. 2-4)

The first point is what Israel who had turned their backs on God was like.  Please look at verses 2 to 4.

Isaiah begins God’s message of chastisement. Messages of chastisement or judgment are not very popular.  As much as possible people want to hear only warm messages. They want to hear messages of encouragement. However, real prophets see the judgmental hand of God in history, and from that urge for repentance. False prophets even if judgment comes upon them say, “Peace, peace” and paralyze people’s hearts, but real prophets first of all recognize sin, and urge people to devote their hearts to God. Like it says in Amos 6:1,　“Come, let us return to the LORD. He has torn us to pieces but he will heal us; he has injured us but he will bind up our wounds.” After the Lord tears us to pieces, he heals us. After he injures us, he binds up our wounds. He doesn’t just bring a simple, superficial solution.

Here first Isaiah says, “Hear me you heavens! Listen, earth! For the LORD has spoken:” (2) God speaks so he can be heard in heaven and on earth because he wants everyone to hear him. This is because in Deut. it says that things are confirmed by two or three witnesses.  It is like a court case where God is speaking in front of the two witnesses heaven and earth, pleading his case against Judah so that all can hear.

The contents of the case is that “I (God) reared children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against me. The ox knows its master, the donkey its owner’s manger, but Israel does not know, my people do not understand.” (2,3) The number one reason that God is blaming Israel is because like a parent brings up children, God has brought up Israel, but even so Israel acts like she doesn’t even know God, and has turned their backs on God and has forsaken him. Man is forgetful and easily forgets to be thankful, but to be reared by someone for hundreds, and thousands of years and even so to have forgotten Him is unthinkable.

When we read the Bible starting from the beginning, in the first 10 chapters events of the world like the creation and the flood of Noah are summarized.  When we enter chapter 12, Abraham is chosen and is made the people of God. The focus is squeezed down from a world wide field of vision to a small race. Then in the age of Moses the law is given and teaches them until they show the will of God in their lives in detail, and leads them.  In other words, within the whole world God brings up this child, and specially loves them only and uses all things for their growth. No matter how many children there are, Israel is special. Like a parent who only sees his own child, God keeps his gaze on Israel.

Even so they completely forgot what their parent, God, did for them.  This is even worst than animals.  “The ox knows his master, the donkey his owner’s manger, but Israel does not know.” (3) This is worst than the animals.

This is a real story, but the police were trying to catch a thief and they thought of many things to do and set the cow that he kept free. The cow naturally started towards where his master was.  That is how they were able to find where the thief was and catch him.  Like this even though the cow knows his master, “Israel does not know, my people do not understand.”  God is very surprised and shocked by this lack of recognition.

God’s grief towards Israel continues in verse 4.

Verse 4

God’s sigh of grief, “ah” (4) makes our heart ache. God sighs in grief because Israel is a “sinful nation, a people loaded with guilt, a brood of evil doers, children given to corruption!” (4)

A “sinful nation” (4) originally means a nation that has missed the mark.  What they are doing does not meet God’s standard. A man that is separated from God no matter what kind of life he leads, in the end　he has no goal and is haphazard. No matter how industrious he is and how perfect the family is and how sincere             a life he has, if a person doesn’t know his final destination then he has a life that is missing the goal…. And is nothing more than a sinner before God.  Israel was chosen by God and the nation was given a goal of showing God’s glory but they are a people what have missed the goal, a “sinful nation”. (4)

Also “a people loaded with guilt” because their sinfulness was so great. The guilt of it, and the curse incurred by that guilt, lay very heavily upon them.  It was a heavy charge that was exhibited against them, and one which they could never clear themselves from. Their sin was a weight upon them.

“A brood of evildoers” is when you shine justice and what is right on it they are doing it is wrong. “Corruption is falling below God’s standard.  In other words, all guilt, evil doing, and corruption starts from being separated from God and being in the condition of not having an ultimate goal.

All different kinds of unhappiness and misfortunes, hurting others, deception, jealousy, discord in the family, lies and all things if we don’t begin with the restoration of our relationship with God, everything will be nothing but emergency measures. In a person’s life even if he is a politician, even if a housewife, he must first deal with the  roots of sin in his life. In other words he must begin with the restoration of his relationship with God. Then our lives won’t end only being an emergency treatment of the troubles that happen in life.

 

1. Strongly afflicted Israel (vs.5-8)

Secondly, let’s look at what became of Israel who had “forsaken the LORD,” (4) and had “spurned the holy One of Israel, and turned their backs on him” (4) and is separated from God. Please look at verses 5 to 8.

Israel who persisted in rebellion not only grieved God, but they hurt themselves.  Their “whole head” (5) was injured. Their “whole heart” (5) was afflicted. From the soles of their feet to the top of their heads “there is no soundness”. (6) There are only “wounds and welts and open sores” (6) Head and heart refer to man’s inner and outer body.  From the soles of the feet to the top of the head means the whole body. In other words the result of persisting in rebellion is that the whole body is strongly afflicted.  Not only that, but they can not be “cleansed or bandaged or soothed with olive oil.” (6)  That means that they can’t be treated.  How painful it is to be suffering in sickness, and tossing in pain, but not to be treated!  That is how strongly they were afflicted.

The way they were strongly afflicted is described in verses 7 and 8.

Vs. 7,8

By the attack of Assyria both Israel and Judah were “laid waste”. (7)  Their cities were “burned with fire.” (7) They looked like they were “laid waste as when overthrown by strangers.” (7)  Then when we look at verse 8 it is “like a shelter in a vineyard, like a hut in a cucumber field.” “A shelter in a vineyard” and “a hut in a cucumber field” would be like today’s hothouses. Recently hothouses are fairly strong, and a little wind and rain doesn’t knock them down, but originally the frame was weak so when something like a typhoon came, it fell down in a moment.  They were like a hothouse or shed that is verily standing in a field.  The foundation isn’t firm so just a little pressure from the outside it leans to one side. In that condition it is barely standing. Israel is that badly afflicted. Israel that used to be extremely loved by God, but now they are so afflicted that you can’t even see the shadow of God’s love.

That is what man who is separated from God, and is walking with his back towards God is like. Even so, we say, “’I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.‘ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked.” (Rev. 3:17) This type of person needs eye medicine. Before God said to the Church in Laodicea, “I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.” (Rev. 3:18)  We too need to buy salve to put on our eyes so we can see ourselves clearly and can repent.

Rev. 3:19,20

By doing that the Lord will come in to us, and eat with us. To eat together shows a really intimate relationship.  It is difficult to have a meal with someone we hate. Jesus is saying that he’ll have an intimate relationship with us.

 

1. The remnant of Israel (vs. 9)

The third point is even so the God of deep mercy, has left a remnant.  Please look at verse 9.

Here is the difference between Judah and other countries. Although the Lord is declaring a complete ruin of countries like Assyria and Babylon the reason that Israel will not be completely ruined is because God has left a remnant.

Here we can see one principle that the Lord has.  That is if there is a remnant of people that honor the Lord, then God does not entirely wipe them out.  Here it says, “become like Sodom, we would have been like Gomorrah.” (9) This is referring to the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah in Genesis 19. The people of Sodom and Gomorrah were so wicked that God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.  However, Abraham earnestly prayed that the towns would not be destroyed because his nephew Lot was there.  Therefore, Abraham prayed, “What if there are fifty righteous people in the city? Will you really sweep it away and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous people in it?” (Genesis 18:24) The Lord answered, “If I find fifty righteous people in the city of Sodom, I will spare the whole place for their sake.” (Genesis 18:26) That is because to destroy the righteous and the wicked together is not the proper thing for the righteous God to do.  Then Abraham prayed, “What if the number of the righteous is five less than fifty? Will you destroy the whole city because of five people?” (Genesis 18:27) God answered, “If I find forty-five there, I will not destroy it.” (Genesis 18:27)  Then Abraham asks about 40 and God says he won’t destroy it.  Then Abraham at one time dropped the number by 10 people and prayed, “What if only thirty can be found there?” (Genesis 18:30) God answered, “I will not do it if I find thirty there.” (Genesis 18:30) Next it became 20 and then 10. God answered, “For the sake of ten, I will not destroy it.” (Genesis 18:32) However, there weren’t 10 righteous people in Sodom and Gomorrah. God “rained down burning sulfur on Sodom and Gomorrah,” (Genesis 19:23) and destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. However for the one righteous man, Lot, God watched over him and his family. In other words God does not destroy the righteous with the wicked.

Lamentations 3:22

God loves those who love him and follow him and will never forsake us or leave us. “For His compassions never fail.” (Lam. 3:22)  “Because of the LORD’s great love” (Lam. 3:22) no matter how great the wrath of God is, those who walk believing in the Lord will definitely not have the wrath of God fall of them.  An end to us will never be announced. What a great promise! God is completely faithful, and his promises never change.

By the way, this passage is quoted in Romans 9:29. Here it is referring to the remnant.  Towards the question, “Did God reject his people?” (Romans 11:1) Paul answered, “By no means!” (Romans 11:1) In other words even if it seemed like Israel was rejected, Israel is not rejected.  God has kept a small group of people that believe in God and had follow him, the remnant.  God’s plan is that by this remnant the Israelites will be saved. By this all of Israel will be saved. God’s gifts and calling never change.

From this passage we can find a truth. That is there is definitely a remnant.  Even in this age, if pressures from the world cause many people to become separated from God and live a life completely unrelated from God, God will for sure prepare a remnant. Until the Lord comes again there will be a remnant that will firmly keep their faith, and follow God.  No matter how great the persecution or how hard the situation, by the grace and faithfulness of God there is a remnant.

The lives of a people that turn their backs on God and are separated from God  is really tragic.  However, no matter how disobedient Israel is, how much they sinned, they never lost their position as a child of God. God is leaving a remnant. God never forsakes his children. A child that leaves home, like a father that has a daughter, he put his hope in Israel, and waited all the time for them to return to Him.  God is now waiting for you. He is waiting for you to return to him. Like the prodigal son who when he returned to his mind, he remembered his father. Let’s remember that we too are miserable, separated from our father, and return to our father.  Then the Lord will say, “My son who was dead returned” and have a banquet.  That is how much the Lord wants us to return to Him.  Now you also please repent of your sin and return to the Lord. You have to begin there.  Then the Lord will forgive you and will gladly accept you. Then lamenting will be changed to joy and sorrow to dancing.