This Sunday, Trinity 12, I preached on Isaiah 50:4-9a at St Thomas, Minnis
Bay, Birchington.
Isaiah 50:4-9a (one of the 'Suffering Servant' Songs)
We hear the testimony of the Servant who is about to suffer, concerning
SOVEREIGN YHWH ('a:DoNaY YHWH, The Lord GOD) and what He means to him:
1. THE ROLE OF THE SERVANT OF YHWH 4a
a. Sovereign YHWH has given me a Message.
He has given me the tongue of the taught. The gift of the gab. He puts His
Words into the mouth of His servants (Jeremiah 1:9).
b. Sovereign YHWH has given me a Mission.
He has given me to sustain the weary with a Word. Those weary of the world are
ready for the Word. Have you got it to give them?
2. THE RESOURCES OF THE SERVANT OF YHWH 4b-5
a. Sovereign YHWH has opened my Eyes.
Morning by morning He wakens me. How wonderful to spend the morning hour with
our Lord GOD. To open our eyes to His presence.
b. Sovereign YHWH has opened my Ears.
We must listen to what the Lord has said before we can say what the Lord has
said. The open ear comes before the open mouth. As with the Manna, we must
gather a day's portion for a day: "give us this day our daily bread". Did you
have a good spiritual breakfast today?
c. Sovereign YHWH has opened my Heart.
In Hebrew, to hear is to obey : e.g. Sh:Ma` YiS:Ra'eL. In Greek, AKOUEIN and
hUPAKOUEIN. The Lord won't keep on instructing you, if He knows you won't obey
at the end of the day. Jonah was rebellious and turned away from God; but look
what happened to him. The Sign of the Prophet Jonah was the only sign given to
our Lord's perverse generation (Matthew 12:39; 16:4). It's not "I would serve
God if I could" but "I could serve God if I would"!
3. THE REFUGE OF THE SERVANT OF YHWH 6-9
a. Sovereign YHWH vindicates me. 6-7
Fair warning is given that all who would live godly in the Lord Jesus shall
suffer persecution (2 Timothy 3:12).
Jesus suffered this for me (6). He set His face like a flint to go up to
Jerusalem (Luke 9:51), despising the shame (Hebrews 12:2). Jesus suffered for
His sinlessness; let us be sure we do not suffer for our sinfulness (1 Peter
3:17; 4:16). He was not confounded; neither shall we be confounded (Romans
10:11).
b. Sovereign YHWH exonerates me. 8-9
Although the Adversary (Ba`aL MiShPaTiY, 'my prosecuting counsel') tried his
worst, Sovereign YHWH exonerated Christ fully at His resurrection. Likewise
God is our helper; who can declare us guilty (Romans 8:31-34)?
___________________________________________________________________________
Ben
--
Revd Ben Crick, BA CF
232 Canterbury Road, Birchington, Kent, CT7 9TD (UK)
http://www.cnetwork.co.uk/crick.htm
