Rsbc
November 17, 2002
Sunday Night
Series: The Book of Isaiah
Subject: “ God’s Righteousness Revealed”
Text : Isaiah 56:1-2
Intro: This is one of those chapters that is difficult to unravel as to what The LORD is talking about. Is he talking about deliverance from Babylon, or is he talking about something that is far greater than being delivered from some temporary captivity.
It is my opinion that God is speaking of both their deliverance our deliverance..
The notes of the Geneva Bible says: “God shows what he requires of them after he has delivered them: that is, the works of charity by which true faith is declared.”
In this passage I wish to show two main thoughts:
1. The authority of the text: “ Thus saith the Lord”
2. The revelations of the text:
I... “ THE AUTHORITY OF THE TEXT”...VS 1
413 times in the bible this phrase is used. This has great meaning. This is not the word of Isaiah, this is not my word, this is not the word of a commentator, this is the word of the LORD.
The first time this is used is when the LORD commanded Pharaoh to let his people go. Exodus 4:22 And thou shalt say unto Pharaoh, Thus saith the LORD, Israel [is] my son, [even] my firstborn: Exodus 4:23 And I say unto thee, Let my son go, that he may serve me: and if thou refuse to let him go, behold, I will slay thy son, [even] thy firstborn.
The last time he uses this phrase in the Bible is Malachi 1:4 Whereas Edom saith, We are impoverished, but we will return and build the desolate places; thus saith the LORD of hosts, They shall build, but I will throw down; and they shall call them, The border of wickedness, and, The people against whom the LORD hath indignation for ever.
Essentially all the word of GOD is thus saith the LORD....for Paul said all scriptures is given by inspiration of GOD.
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II... “ THE REVELATIONS OF THE TEXT” ...VS 1-12
1st. The duty enjoined buy the text: vs 1
The word “keep” in the Hebrew means to guard, the watch over, it is to be done like you would some precious treasurer, to store it in your memory. The Lord declares that we are keep judgement...
Keeping judgement leads to doing justices: It is said in Genesis 18:19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.
2nd. The reason stated by the LORD: vs 1
Two reasons he gives
(1.) My salvation is near:
It is clear through out the Bible that salvation if we experience it belongs to the LORD without question. We see this in the following situation: Israel could not deliver herself: Moses said “ Stand still and see the salvation of the LORD” Jonah in the belly of the well declare: Jonah 2:9 But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay [that] that I have vowed. Salvation [is] of the LORD.
If salvation is to come to the sinner it must come from the LORD for the sinner has no power to deliver himself from the state in which he is left...
(2.) My righteousness is near to come:
Isaiah 41:10 Fear thou not; for I [am] with thee: be not dismayed; for I [am] thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.
The promise of the text is clear: That the righteousness of the LORD is to be revealed, the clear revelation of the righteousness of the LORD is the LORD JESUS CHRIST. Romans 3:21‑22 But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22 Even the righteousness of God [which is] by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference:
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Romans 3:25‑26 Whom God hath set forth [to be] a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26 To declare, [I say], at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus.
3rd. The blessing of the text: vs 2
Once deliverance has come the blessing of obedience is required...In the message of the LORD JESUS CHRIST...
Luke 12:37 Blessed [are] those servants, whom the lord when he cometh shall find watching: verily I say unto you, that he shall gird himself, and make them to sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve them.
Two things he says: The keeping of the 1. sabbath, and the restraining of oneself 2. from evil ways. What does this mean to us.
We do not keep the sabbath in the same sense as under the law but we do keep the Lord’s day by coming and worshiping him. Many Christian have tried to tie the two together and only frustrated themselves in trying to keep it as under the law.
Jamison Faucet and Brown said of this text:
what follows: "keeping the Sabbath," . A proof that the Sabbath, in the spirit of its obligation, was to be binding under the Gospel (#Isa 66:23). That gospel times are referred to is plain, from the blessing not being pronounced on the man who observed the sacrificial ritual of the Jewish law. The "Sabbath" here includes all the ordinances of divine worship under the new gospel law.
So what I believe that once we have worshipped on the LORD’s day in the prescribed way in which the bible lays out, mainly giving, praying, preaching, singing we have kept the spirit of the sabbath under the gospel age.
From evil ways: God’s word is clear as to what we are to do with reference to evil Paul said: 1 Thessalonians 5:22 Abstain from all appearance of evil.
1st. We are taught to pray for deliverance from evil: Matthew 6:13 And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen.
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2nd. We are taught that evil is the way of life of the unconverted and is clearly manifested in them:
John 3:20‑21 For every one that doeth evil hateth the light, neither cometh to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved. 21 But he that doeth truth cometh to the light, that his deeds may be made manifest, that they are wrought in God.
3rd. The LORD Jesus prayed that we should be protected by the Father from evil.
John 17:15 I pray not that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil.
4th. We find as Paul did an ever present struggle with evil in our own nature:
Romans 7:19‑21 For the good that I would I do not: but the evil which I would not, that I do. 20 Now if I do that I would not, it is no more I that do it, but sin that dwelleth in me. 21 I find then a law, that, when I would do good, evil is present with me.
5th. We have a divine obligation to hate evil and do good:
Romans 12:9 [Let] love be without dissimulation. Abhor that which is evil; cleave to that which is good.
6th. Remember that Christ hath died in order to deliver us from this evil world one day.
Galatians 1:4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
7th. The love of money is the root of evil:
1 Timothy 6:10 For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.