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

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

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

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

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