Let's take our Bibles and turn
to the book of Isaiah, Isaiah chapter 12. Isaiah chapter 12, last Sunday,
when David read this passage of scripture, and I'd like to
just look at it, make a few comments on it. I've entitled this message in
that day, You know, the believer in the
Lord Jesus Christ rejoices to hear the glorious truth of God's
mercy and compassion to undeserving sinners. We're not worthy of
the least of his mercies, but the Lord's been pleased to show
mercy. And that believer rejoices to
hear again and again that His mercy was not based upon our
worthiness, our will, but upon His will. That's what he said
over in Romans chapter 9, Romans chapter 9, 15, 16, what
the Spirit of God moved Apostle Paul to write based on what The
Lord had said to Moses, Exodus 33, Romans 9, 15, 16, for he
saith to Moses, I will have mercy on whom I'll have mercy. I will
have compassion on whom I will have compassion. So then, it
is not of him that willeth, him that runneth, but of God that
showeth mercy. The believer rejoices to behold
in the scripture, not only that it's the Lord's will to show
mercy, but also he's pleased, according to his timing, to show
mercy. Galatians 1, the apostle Paul
speaking concerning himself, Galatians 1, 13 to 16. You've heard of my conversation,
my manner of walk. Time passed in the Jews' religion,
how that I, beyond measure, I persecuted the church of God and wasted
it, and profited in the Jews' religion above many my equals,
in my own nation, being more exceedingly zealous of the traditions
of the fathers. But when it pleased God, who
separated me from my mother's womb and called me by his grace
to reveal his son in me that I might preach him among the
heathen immediately, I conferred not with flesh and blood." So
the Lord is pleased to show mercy. He's pleased to show mercy when
he's pleased to show mercy. But the believers especially
rejoicing to know that The Lord, who's been pleased to show mercy
to sinners, has been pleased to have mercy upon him, upon
me. O blind Barnabas, turn to Mark
10 if you want to, and I'll read, or you can just listen to me
read Mark chapter 10, verse 46, Mark 10, 46. came to Jericho, and as he went
out of Jericho with his disciples, a great number of people, blind
Bartimaeus, the son of Timaeus, sat by the highway side begging. When he heard that it was Jesus
of Nazareth, he began to cry out and say, Jesus, thou son
of David, have mercy on me. And many charged him that he
should hold his peace, but he cried the more a great deal,
thou son of David. Have mercy on me. And Jesus stood
still and commanded him to be called. And they called the blind
man, saying to him, be of good comfort. Arise, he calleth thee.
And he, casting away his garment, rose and came to Jesus. And Jesus
answered, said unto him, what wilt thou that I should do unto
thee? And the blind man said unto him, Lord, that I might
receive my sight. And Jesus said unto him, go thy
way. Thy faith hath made thee whole. And immediately he received
his sight and followed Jesus in the way. The Lord calls sinners,
calls them when he will, makes them willing in the day of his
power. And the believer ever finds himself
relating these blessed truths to himself.
He finds himself relating to that thief on the cross. He knows
that in himself, he knows he's guilty. That thief knew he's
guilty after he told the other thief. We deserve what we're
getting. Man's done nothing. But here's
all of his hope. This is all of his hope. He's
hanging on a cross. and this is the only hope he's
got. Lord, when you enter into your kingdom, man, what a revelation
of truth. What an opening of eyes, spiritual
eyes to see. This man, he's at the end of
his life, he's gone, he's gone, he's out of here. He's not coming
down off that cross alive. When you enter into your kingdom, would you remember me? Would
you remember me? One man asking the Lord, would
you remember me? Verily I say unto you today,
shalt thou be with me in paradise. You'll be with me. And the believer rejoices to
behold these blessed promises. The Spirit of God opens him up.
He's thankful that the Spirit of God has given him heart to
rejoice in these things. He's thankful that he's sitting
in the assembly of God's people, meeting with God's saints, hearing
the truth, He's glad that he wants to be there. Thankful that
the Lord will give him a heart to want to hear one more time.
Just tell me one more time. Well, in Isaiah chapter 12, here's
the confession. Here's the confession of a believer. One that's been made to see something
of his need. Isaiah 12.1, in that day, in
that day, there's so many mentions of that, in that day. You can
look over and I can tell you, I know, I know, I know it means
in the day of judgment. Look at Isaiah, flip back a few
pages, Isaiah 2, Isaiah 2, verse 10 and 11. Here the Spirit of God moved
upon Isaiah to write this, enter into the rock and hide thee in
the dust. For fear of the Lord and for
the glory of his majesty, the lofty looks of man shall be humbled. And the haughtiness of man shall
be bowed down. And the Lord alone shall be exalted
in that day. For the day of the Lord is...
A post shall be upon everyone that's proud and lofty and upon
everyone that's lifted up, and he shall be brought low. I can tell you this, in that
day, the day that all men, all women, we're all gonna stand
there. I mean, more surely than we're sitting here right now,
more sure, this is unsure, in that day, All creation, every man, woman
ever been born in Adam is gonna stand before him. Everybody,
everybody. You're gonna separate sheep from
the goats. Gonna put sheep on his right hand, goats on the
left. And in that day, all the books are gonna be open in the
book. Every man, Every woman is gonna
have an account. All that's found in Christ, enter in to the kingdom prepared
for you from before the foundation of the world. Everyone without
Christ, every one of them, bind them hand and foot, cast them
out. I know in that day. But also,
I can tell you that by experience, if I can use that word, in the
day of regeneration, there's a new attitude, there's a new
word, there's a new heart, there's a new voice, there's a new man
there. In that day, The day of regeneration, that's
where it starts, right there. God's gonna keep them, they're
gonna keep saying that. In that day, shalt thou say,
O Lord, I will praise thee, though thou wast angry with me. Thine anger is turned away, and
thou comfortest me. In that day, in that day that
we know him, put an article in the bulletin today, Brother Henry
wrote back in 84. If you haven't got a chance to
read it, read it. You know how he's talking about
how many people, you know, they try to think back on when they
were converted and stuff like that. What think ye of Christ
right now, today? What do you think today? Yesterday's
gone. What do you think today? What
think ye of Christ today? In that day, thou shalt say,
O Lord, capital L, capital L, capital L, okay, Jehovah, Father,
Son, Spirit, you who are the covenant God, in that day I will
praise thee, I will thank you, I'll give thanks and confess
you, I'm going to say of you what you've said of yourself,
Isaiah 45, 5. I'm the Lord, and there's none
else. There is no God beside me. In that day, I will praise you. I will praise you as the only
one worthy of praise and thanksgiving. I washed angry, displeased, Displeased. Let me show you the same word.
Though thou wast angry. Turn to Psalm 60. Psalm 60, verse
1. Here's the same word. Psalm 60. Verse 1. O God, thou hast cast
us off, thou hast scattered us, thou hast been displeased. O turn thyself to us again. Though thou wast angry, though
thou wast displeased with me. One deserving of wrath, I deserve
it. Thine anger, my rapid breathing. It means the nose, the nostril,
rapid breathing. Their anger is turned away. An anger's turned away. How is
it turned away? It was turned toward Christ.
It turned toward Him who was made sin for us. He who knew no sin, that we might
be made the righteousness of God in Him. And now, what does
he say? What does the believer say? Thou
comfortest me. Thou comfortest me. Justified freely by His grace
through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. You comfort
me. You tell me. I told you had my kids. I'd always
spank my kids. You got one shot at it. Got one
shot. Go baby. Used it up. There's your shot.
Let's go to the bedroom. Okay, I don't know that bit right
there. You're going to get three licks.
I'm going to take them and put them
on my knee. Dry their eyes. Tell them I love
you. I love you. I love you. I can't let you get away with
that. You're going to have to learn.
You're going to have to learn obedience. Lord, I will praise thee, though
thou wast angry with me. and angers turned away, and thou
comfortest me." Oh, in the day of God's mercy, there's a blessed
remembrance of what we deserve. We remember, we know. A view
of that which deserved His wrath when we behold the cross of Christ,
That's what I deserve. That's what I deserve. I deserve
to be there. Oh, but by the grace of God,
his anger been turned away and turned away for Christ's sake. His blood, his precious blood
been shed to atone, to answer for my sin. Now, He comforts us. There's a blessed remembrance
of redemption. Oh, I know it, but, oh, Fred,
I want to know it. I want to know that. I know what
scripture says, but I know he's made sin. I just, I see through
a glass darkly, and I... One day, Verse two, behold, God is my
salvation. I will trust and not be afraid. For the Lord Jehovah is my strength
and my song. He also has become my salvation. Behold, lo, see, God is my deliverance,
my victory, my salvation. Not my goodness, but the Lord
is my salvation. I love that scripture here in
Luke 2.31, Simeon beheld the Lord, the babe, and his eyes
looked and he said, Lord, receive me. Now mine eyes have seen thy
salvation. He knew who that was. He knew
it was the Lord. Isaiah 25.8 says he will swallow
up death in victory. And the Lord God will wipe away
tears from off all faces, and the rebuke of his people shall
he take away from off the earth, for the Lord has spoken it. God's my salvation. I will trust, and I'll not be
afraid. The Lord said in Luke 12, 32,
fear not, little flock. I mean, we're going through this
world, and we've been promised. In this
world, you're going to have trouble. You're going to have tribulation.
You're going to be hated. You're going to have people that
don't want to have anything to do with you. You're going to
have people despise what you're saying. They're going to hate
the God you love. Fear not, little flock. For it
is your father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom. I will trust and not be afraid. For the Lord Jehovah is my strength
and my song. He also has become my salvation. I've got his word on that. The
Lord Jehovah, the Father, the Son, the Spirit, is my strength
and my song. I love that. Hold your place,
I'll be there back in a minute. Revelation five. I love every
time I see that song, I think of this scripture. Revelation
chapter five, verses one to 10. And I saw in the right hand of
him that sat on the throne a book written within on the backside
seal with seven seals. And I saw a strong angel proclaiming
with a loud voice, who is worthy to open the book and to loose
the seals thereof. And no man in heaven nor in earth,
neither under the earth, was able to open the book, neither
to look thereon. And I wept much because no man
was found worthy to open and to read the book, neither to
look therein. This is the book of God's covenant. Covenant, mercy, grace, redemption. I'll make a statement on that
in a second. One of the elders saith unto
me, weep not. Behold the line of the tribe
of Judah. The root of David hath prevailed
to open the book, and to loose the seven seals thereof. And
I beheld, and lo, in the midst of the throne, and of the four
beasts, and in the midst of the elders stood a lamb, as it had
been slain. Having seven horns and seven
eyes, which are the seven spirits of God, sent forth into all the
earth, he came and took the book out of the right hand of him
that sat upon the throne, and when he had taken the book, the
four beasts, four and 20 elders, fell down before the Lamb, having
every one of them harps and golden vials full of odors, which are
the prayers of the saints, and they sung a new song, a fresh,
fresh song, fresh, every time they read, every time they sing
it. Here is a song, thou art worthy
to take the book. and to open the seals thereof,
for thou was slain and has redeemed us to God by thy blood out of
every kindred, tongue, people, nation, and has made us unto
our God, kings and priests, and we shall reign on the earth. Scripture says, behold, God is
my salvation. I will trust and not be afraid
for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song. He also has become
my salvation. He's become my salvation. That ever-fresh song, do you
that know it, do you ever tire of singing that song? You've redeemed us out of every people,
nation, tribe, tongue. You've redeemed us. You made
us kings and priests unto God. Unto God. That song, this world
doesn't know anything about it, but that song is a song that
a believer never tires of, never. Isaiah 12.3, therefore with joy
shall we draw water out of the wells of salvation. Because his anger's turned away,
because God's my salvation, the one we trust, and therefore will
not be afraid, because he is the strength of his people, he's
their song, and has become, he's become, not that he's ever changed,
but it's come to pass, established, it exists, and it abides. He has become their salvation,
therefore with joy shall you draw water out of the wells. And actually, you look up the
word wells, here's what it means. Spring. Spring of salvation. Comes from a word that means
fountain. He is the spring, the fountain
of salvation. But we know that there is but
one well, the Lord himself, one well, according to his covenant,
in three persons. I don't understand it. I declare
it. I believe it. One of these days,
I'll know it by his grace and mercy. But from him, the person
of the Lord Jesus, flows the abundance of his blessings. But the language is figurative. And it sets forth a word denoting,
I'm getting this from the definition. I don't talk like this. It's
figurative, denoting the inexhaustible fullness of the divine blessings
prepared for people. Psalm 114. Psalm 114. Psalm 114,
verse seven and eight. 114, seven and eight. Tremble thou earth at the presence
of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob, which turned
the rock into a standing water, the flint into a fountain of
waters, waters, waters. I look at these plural words.
Mr. Strong said this, he said it's
a duel A dual, waters, a dual of a primitive noun, but used
in a singular sense. There's one, the fountain of
waters. Scripture says, and with joy,
we'll draw water out of the wells. Springs. Song of Solomon. Turn back a
few pages. Song of Solomon, chapter four. And here we find the words of our Lord and the brides
being the recipient of his blessing. Song of Solomon four, verse 12. A garden enclosed is my sister. She's bared, the word, margin. A garden enclosed is my sister,
my spouse. A spring shut up, same word,
bared. A fountain sealed. Got his seal, this is mine. This is mine. Stamps it with
a seal, like you'd seal up, you know, something, like a stamp. Thy plants are an orchard of
pomegranates with pleasant fruits. with spikenard, spikenard and
saffron, calamus, cinnamon, with all trees of frankincense, myrrh,
aloes, with all the chief spices, a fountain of waters, I'm sorry,
of gardens, a fountain of gardens, a well of living waters, and
streams from Lebanon. Now, I know this is all symbolic. It makes me, I went through the
book of Psalm of Solomon, now I wanna go back I'm gonna go
back and read, take that passage I just read out of Revelation
and preach on that again, and then I'm gonna take this one
right here and preach on that again, but for the sake of time. The Lord Jesus has made us by robing us in his righteousness. He has made us righteous. Bore our sin, put away our debt,
And therefore, in what He's done for us, all of that symbolic,
talking about all the fragrances, you smell like cinnamon and saffron. I remember going through that
and talking about each one of those. This is what you are,
fountain, water spring. What He's done for us, that's
what He sees. He sees His righteousness. His
obedience. And he sees his people, his bride,
flourishing in fruitfulness. And it's all owing to himself. She's a garden enclosed and hedged
about, one of God's planting, cultivating, care, a spring shut
up. All of her fragrance is the fruit
of God's Spirit. And what is truly said of her
is according to Him. She is what she is by His grace. He made her. He clothed her. And what we are, there's one
verse there in Song of Solomon that I read, and the writers
differ on the, you know, and I can understand it. But in verse
15, back in Song of Solomon 4, a fountain of gardens, a well
of living waters, and streams from Lebanon, It appears as though
it could be the Lord speaking of her, but also, as the writers
have said, it could be her speaking of Him. What He says of her, what she
says of Him. I can enter into that. I'll tell
you how. You know the Scripture. 1 John
4, 17. Herein is our love made perfect,
that we may have boldness in the day of judgment, because
as he is, so are we. This word. In that day, when we see him,
we see him as he is. We looked at this last time,
and we will know, we will know as we're known. We like him. My friend, that's more than I
can grasp. I mean, I believe it. But here
he is speaking of her in Song of Solomon. You can say this
of him, because they're one. They're one in union, glorious
union. Isaiah 12, four and five, and
in that day, shall you say, praise the Lord, call upon his name,
declare his doings among the people, make mention that his
name is exalted, sing unto the Lord, for he hath done excellent
things. This is known in all the earth. Now, not only does a believer
praise and thank the Lord for himself, but he encourages others
to do the same. In that day shall you say, shall
you say, praise the Lord. She said, in that day I will,
verse one of chapter one, O Lord, I will praise Thee. Now verse
four, it says, in that day you shall say, praise the Lord, call
on His name. That's what I'm saying, praise
the Lord. Call upon His name. Why? We're members, God's people,
one of the other. chosen by the same Father, placed
in the same Savior of sinners, the Lord Jesus Christ, bought
with the same blood, called by the same Spirit, and we sing
the same song. Sing. Sing from the heart the
song of Zion. Make mention that His name is
exalted. Sing verse 5 unto the Lord, for
He's done excellent things. He has wrought out our salvation. He's reconciled us back to God. Stands as our mediator, our surety,
our great high priest, whoever liveth to make intercession for
us. He's prepared a place in heaven
for us. And then the scripture says,
last part of verse 5, and this is known in all the earth. Not that everybody in the earth
knows it. All that are found to be His
according to electing, regenerating, keeping, saving, redeeming grace. Those found as we read over in
Revelation 5 out of every nation, kindred, tribe, and tongue in
all the earth. God's got a sheep. He's got a
people. They're scattered, but he's gonna bring them. And this
is known in all the earth. Then he says in the last verse,
six, cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion, for great
is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee. Great is the
one that's in your midst. You cry out and shout because
he's great. He's great. Revelation. Revelation
1. It'll be the last passage right
here. Revelation chapter 1. Great is the Holy One of Israel
in the midst of thee. John was on the Isle of Patmos.
This is a vision. God gave him a vision. He's writing
his vision down. He said in Revelation chapter
1 verses 12 and 13, I turned to see the voice that spake with
me, and being turned, I saw seven golden candlesticks. And in the
midst of the seven candlesticks, one likened to the Son of Man,
clothed with a garment down to the foot, and gird about the
pouch with a golden girdle. He was standing in the midst
of the seven candlesticks. Verse 20 of that same chapter,
verse 1, the mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest My right
hand and the seven golden candlesticks, the seven stars are the angels,
the preachers, the pastors. Seven churches and the seven
candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches. Isaiah
says, cry aloud, shout thou inhabitant of Zion, for great is the Holy
One of Israel in the midst of thee. I've said before, surely there's
two or three here today. two or three that are gathered
together. I'm convinced more than that. But where two or three
are gathered together in my name, I am in the midst of, I'm there. I think to myself, what respect
ought we give him? What reverence he is due Lord,
keep me from the fleetingness of my mind and my silly, silly
thoughts. And let me remember, Lord, you've
been pleased to be here. You've been pleased to be here.
I think to myself, oh, what a prod to me to want to be here, be
here with God's people. I pray the Lord bless it to our
hearts for Christ's sake.