The story so far : King Hezekiah of Judah is sitting in sackcloth praying for
deliverance from Sennacherib and the Assyrians. Isaiah has a vision to share:
a vision of *immediate encouragement* to Hezekiah, and of *future
enlightenment* to us..
1. WE SHALL BE FREE UNDER DIVINE INTERVENTION 17-19
a. God's people will have no fear of foreign rulers..
Their king shall wear his peacetime robes of state again. The foreign tax
assessors and secret police will be gone for ever. All travel restrictions
will be lifted. The traumas of their reign of terror will be healed. Our eyes
shall see Jesus in all His beauty when He returns King of the "land that
stretches afar". We see it from afar as Moses saw it from Pisgah (Deu 34:1-4)..
b. God's people will have no fear of foreign armies..
The foreign armies of occupation whose speech and behaviour are so barbarous
will neither besiege nor occupy their land again. When He returns Christ will
"put down all rule and all authority and power. He must reign, until He has
put all His enemies under His feet" (1 Cor 15:24-25).
2. WE SHALL BE FREE UNDER DIVINE CONSOLATION 20-21
a. God's people will serve their LORD in peace again..
The appointed feasts will once more be celebrated openly, not clandestinely..
The New Jerusalem will descend from heaven (Rev 21:2-3). In our day the Temple
site is desecrated by a Moslem mosque; but Zion will be a permanent pitch
again for God's real Tabernacle from heaven (Heb 8:5)..
b. God's people will be refreshed with His presence again..
God will continually dwell among His people and refresh them with His presence
and Holy Spirit. No enemy warships can ever navigate these waters (Eze 47; Rev
22)..
3. WE SHALL BE FREE UNDER DIVINE DIRECTION 22
a. YHWH is the Legislature ~ God my Lawgiver..
The Ruler and the Lawgiver is God Himself. His commandments are not grievous,
but are a delight both to contemplate and to comply with..
b. YHWH is the Executive ~ God my Saviour..
The executive King and Saviour is God Himself. "The Zeal of the LORD of Hosts
will perform this" (Isa 9:7). If He makes a law, He will carry it out. He even
became man to fulfil His Law to the last jot and tittle, and to die its
judicial penalty for our disobedience..
c. YHWH is the Judiciary ~ God my Vindicator..
The Judge is God Himself who will judge righteous judgment. "Shall not the
Judge of all the earth do right?" (Gen 18:25). He has appointed a Day when all
shall stand before Him. Before His throne we have an Advocate (1 John 2:1)
with a perfect plea. If He is our saviour now, He will not be our Judge then
(Heb 9:27-28)..
__________________________________________________________
Comments (critical or otherwise) are welcome. Just because it's a sermon in
note form, doesn't mean it's six foot above criticism as from a pulpit! By
all means, let's discuss, if you wish..
Ben
--
Revd Ben Crick, BA CF
232 Canterbury Road, Birchington, Kent, CT7 9TD (UK)
http://www.cnetwork.co.uk/crick.htm
