Rsbc 9/5/99
Sunday Night
Isaiah
Subject- “God’s Outstretched Hands”
Text- “Isaiah 9-8-21
Intro- When I read such a text and when I think about all that we have studied since we started this great book, I see such kindness in the Lord. I see his hand of mercy upon a people heavy laden with sin and rebellion.
In this text before us tonight we see a number of things that I wish to point out before we get to the subject for this lesson.
1st. We see that God hath sent his word....and it hath lighted upon his people...vs 1
This word “lighted” many meaning in the Hebrew but the one that seems at least to me to fit this text means ..... to make the lot fall, assign by lot, apportion by lot....
2nd. We see a vivid picture of what this lot is...vs 9-10
In the midst of this people was a prideful people, and stout hearted bunch...the word used here is “stoutness of heart” which means that their hearts were swelled to its capacity. Boy we really have to watch it don’t we.
a. This stoutness is seen in the determination of their evil hearts...vs 10
b. This stoutness of heart is seen also in their decision to change what God had set...vs 10
3rd. What the Lord said..
a. He would send invading heathen nations against them...vs 12
b. He would cut head tail off...vs 14-17
c. He would darken the land...vs 19-21
Three times in these verses tdoes the Lord say through the Prophet Isaiah, I will do all this to this people, but yet MY HAND IS STRETCHED OUT.
I... “ THE STRETCHING OUT OF THE HAND OF THE LORD IS NOT A SIGN OF DIVERTING HIS JUDGEMENT...
It is clear from our studied of this book that the Lord indeed brought his judgement. It is also clear that he was always there to help, to render mercy.
On one occasion God was going to destroy Jerusalem and stay his hand of judgement...
Page # 2
1 Chronicles 21:15‑16 And God sent an angel unto Jerusalem to destroy it: and as he was destroying, the LORD beheld, and he repented him of the evil, and said to the angel that destroyed, It is enough, stay now thine hand. And the angel of the LORD stood by the threshingfloor of Ornan the Jebusite. 16 And David lifted up his eyes, and saw the angel of the LORD stand between the earth and the heaven, having a drawn sword in his hand stretched out over Jerusalem. Then David and the elders [of Israel, who were] clothed in sackcloth, fell upon their faces.
II... WHAT IS IT THAT WE CAN SEE IN SUCH A STATEMENT BY THE LORD?
We all believe here tonight that the Lord always has a design in what he does. In loving us his design was to save us from our guilt and sins. In loving us he has the design of being our parent, that is he is our Father...In giving his word he has the design of causing his people to grow in the grace and knowledge of the Lord.
So it is in Judgement he has a design.....he intends to lead his people to repentance as in the above statement of David and his people...
1. The out stretched hand of the Lord or the hand of the Lord is seen as an expression of divine providence being carried out...
Proverbs 21:1 The king's heart [is] in the hand of the LORD, [as] the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will.
2. The hand of the Lord stretched out has to do with the salvation of his people...
Acts 11:21 And the hand of the Lord was with them: and a great number believed, and turned unto the Lord.
3. The outstretched hand of the Lord shows the abundance his mercy always available to those who will repent...
A. Gods mercy must be shown are we will all die...
Genesis 39:21 But the LORD was with Joseph, and shewed him mercy, and gave him favour in the sight of the keeper of the prison.
B. Gods mercy and judgements often go hand and hand...
Exodus 15:11‑13 Who [is] like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who [is] like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful [in] praises, doing wonders? 12 Thou stretchedst out thy right hand, the earth swallowed them. 13 Thou in thy mercy hast led forth the people [which] thou hast redeemed: thou hast guided [them] in thy strength unto thy holy habitation.
Page # 3
Application.....two of them...
1st... The greatest display of the wonderful mercy and outstretched hand of the Lord was at Calvary.
a. It is seen in the sending his son.
1 John 4:9 In this was manifested the love of God toward us, because that God sent his only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through him.
Galatians 4:4‑6 But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 5 To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 6 And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father.
b. It is seen also in the judging of his son and the mercy he places upon us...
2 Corinthians 5:21 For he hath made him [to be] sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.
c. It is seen also in the great intercessory work that he is presently doing for us.
1st. It began at Calvary...Isaiah 53:12 Therefore will I divide him [a portion] with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he hath poured out his soul unto death: and he was numbered with the transgressors; and he bare the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.
2nd. It is a real intercession...right now...Hebrews 9:24 For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, [which are] the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us:
2nd. God’s outstretched hands means to us that God indeed will judge us also...
1 Peter 4:17 For the time [is come] that judgment must begin at the house of God: and if [it] first [begin] at us, what shall the end [be] of them that obey not the gospel of God?
Heb 12-5-11