Rsbc June 25, 2000
Sunday Night
The Book of Isaiah
Subject- “Egypt’s Salvation”
Text- Isaiah 19-18-25
Intro- I believe it to be unscriptural and unwise on any preachers part, any teacher of the word of God to suggest something from a passage of scripture that he cannot without question settle in the minds of the people he is preaching to.
By that I mean when we face such a text as this we can only say what we think it has reference to, and not dogmatically affirm it to be so. This is one of those passages that must be addressed and for certain it can be interpreted wrongfully.
Four times the Prophet Isaiah uses the term “IN THAT DAY” indicating a specific day that what he is saying would occur. “In that day five cities would speak the same language”..vs 18 “ In that day an altar of worship to the true God would be set up in Egypt”...vs 19 “In that day an highway would connect Egypt and to Assyria”..vs 23 “In that day Israel shall be third with Egypt and Assyria” A number of well known men of God of the pass differ as to what is meant in this text and what is not meant...
Both Gill and Matthew Henry are certain that you are to interpret this passage spiritual because of the many things that can only be fulfilled that way. They both also give record that Josephus the great JEWISH historian along with other Jewish writers suppose this to be fulfilled when Onias the son of Simeon the just fled into Egypt and obtained leave of the King of Egypt and Queen Cleopatra to build a temple and an altar near the city of Memphis Egypt like those of Jerusalem in order to draw Jews thither.
Both Gill and Matthew Henry also states that he believes it be fulfilled when John Mark took the gospel down into Egypt and there Christ was received by many and many churches flourished for years.
We have seen the prophecy of devastation to both the religious and the political structure of Egypt and now we see that God gives a hope to these people. If you will notice that in verse 22 that he declares both that he will smite and heal Egypt...
So I will tell you that my inclinations are to preach this from a spiritual interpretation, so don’t turn me off till you hear the evidence...So if it is true that it meant here that Mark went into Egypt with the gospel that indeed it changes some things...and that is the way I approach it.
I.... “ THE GOSPEL CHANGES OUR LANGUAGE”...VS 18
It changes the language from a language of Idolatry to the language of the pure gospel of Christ...
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As Gill said it causes one to magnify the Lord, with one heart declare ones confession of Christ. Paul made that very clear when he said that if any man be in Christ he is a new creature old things pass away and behold all things become new...(2 Cor 5-17)
II... “ THE GOSPEL WHEN PREACHED AND BELIEVED CHANGES THE WAY WE WORSHIP...VS 19
No longer do they offer to the gods of paganism, no longer do they celebrate the great feast of the OT no longer do they set up Altars which can not please the Lord but spiritually they worship at the Altar of God...
1 Peter 2:5 Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, an holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ.
Hebrews 13:15 By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of [our] lips giving thanks to his name.
So you can see how this is the way of worship of the Lord today. We come to our altars and we bring our spiritual sacrifices and offer them before the Lord in his spiritual temple..Jesus declared that God was a Spirit and they that worship must worship him in spirit and truth...
III.... “ THE GOSPEL WHEN PREACHED AND BELIEVED CAUSES MEN TO CRY OUT TO THE LORD...VS 20
When men and women are brought under the power of the gospel they too will cry out to the Lord for help, when this is done in real genuine repentance and faith the Lord hear’s the cry of his people and responds to them.
1 Samuel 7:8 And the children of Israel said to Samuel, Cease not to cry unto the LORD our God for us, that he will save us out of the hand of the Philistines.
Two Blind men...Matthew 9:27 And when Jesus departed thence, two blind men followed him, crying, and saying, [Thou] Son of David, have mercy on us.
There was a certain blind man...Luke 18:38‑39 And he cried, saying, Jesus, [thou] Son of David, have mercy on me. 39 And they which went before rebuked him, that he should hold his peace: but he cried so much the more, [Thou] Son of David, have mercy on me.
IV... THE GOSPEL WHEN PREACHED AND BELIEVED GIVES KNOWLEDGE OF THE LORD AND CAUSES TRUE WORSHIP.. VS 21
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It is recorded in history that the greek language was given to the people of Egypt and that at the request of Ptolemy King of Egypt..some have noted that this was a considerable time before the Lord Jesus Christ came..
Once gain keep in mind that some believe that Mark brought the gospel of Christ into this region thereby man came to know the Lord and worship him.
How does one do this? Good question and we can answer it with the word of the Lord that Paul wrote...
Romans 12:1‑2 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service. 2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what [is] that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
V... “WHEN THE GOSPEL IS PREACHED AND BELIEVED IT BRINGS ABOUT A PEACE LIKE MEN HAVE NOT KNOWN BEFORE..VS 23
Once again we see that only the Lord can bring peace both physical peace and spiritual peace. God often brings about real physical peace in order to accomplish and lay down a foundation for the gospel to be brought into a land.
Philippians 4:7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
VI... “ WHEN THE GOSPEL IS PREACHED AND BELIEVED IT BREAKS DOWN WALLS OF THAT ARE PUT UP BY MEN..VS 24
Ephesians 2:14 For he is our peace, who hath made both one, and hath broken down the middle wall of partition [between us];
The Lord Jesus Christ made it very clear that there is no difference between Jew and Gentile, between bond and free that we are all one in Christ...
VII.... WHEN THE GOSPEL IS PREACHED AND BELIEVED IT REVEALS THE PEOPLE OF THE LORD...VS 25
1 Peter 2:10 Which in time past [were] not a people, but [are] now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy.
1ST. We are his people by election..Eph 1-4
2nd. We are his people by adoption..Eph 1-5
3rd. We are his people by redemption..Eph 1-7
4th. We are his people by regeneration..Titus 3-5
5th. We are his people by declaration...
2 Corinthians 6:16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in [them]; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
(KJV)