May it please Almighty God to
bless us together this evening as we meditate in his word. Let us turn to the prophecy of
Isaiah chapter 59 and we'll read the last sentence in verse 19. Prophecy of Isaiah chapter 59
and reading the last sentence in verse 19. When the enemy shall come in
like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard
against him. I'm sure that the Prophet Isaiah
is a familiar character to us. But it's good to realize that
Isaiah lived in a difficult time when for the most part, not always,
but for the most part, Israel were walking contrary to God. And there were many warnings
and many directions which Isaiah was commanded to give to them. And as we read through the prophecy
of Isaiah, beautiful and encouraging parts to it, where the Word of
God speaks to the Church of God to encourage them. And we're
thankful indeed, therefore, that in the midst of difficult situations,
trials and temptations and oppositions, there are still those words of
encouragement for us. And so here we have in this chapter
that we read together a little picture really of Israel and
what they were like. And we're told in the beginning
or the second verse when the prophet says, but your iniquities
have separated between you and your God and your sins have hid
his face from you that he will not hear. Sometimes in our spiritual
life we pray for blessings and we pray for answers to our prayers
and we find that we don't obtain them. Sometimes we wonder why
that is. Perhaps we don't always understand. But it's good therefore to recognise
that we have statements like this which spell it out for us
so that difficult as it may be to accept yet true it is and
as the prophet says here your iniquities our sins what have
they done they've separated between us and our God and our sins have
hid his face from from us that he will not here. So sometimes
when we find that our prayers don't seem to be answered, we
don't seem to make any progress, perhaps it's good as we are encouraged
to examine ourselves, to see the cause, to see the reason. What a blessing it is when the
Lord graciously shows us where we are. shows us perhaps what
we've been it shows us the reason why our prayers have not been
answered he goes on to say for your hands are defiled with blood
and your fingers with iniquity your lips have spoken lies your
tongue hath muttered perverseness again we may think well Such
a person must be seriously sinful and wicked. But yet, you know,
we only have to read the Word of God and read the account of
David. And when the prophet was sent
to David and David realized that the person he was speaking about
was a sinful man, and the prophet's response to him was very simply,
thou art the man. David was condemned by his own
words and it's a good thing still today when the Holy Spirit enables
us to examine ourselves that we are condemned because of our
thoughts because of our words and indeed because of our iniquities
And as the Prophet says, they've separated us. And also the things
that we've uttered, perverseness. You know, it's easy for us to
be perverse in our life. We don't always realize that
that is in opposition to Almighty God. And therefore, perhaps it's
because we're being perverse that our prayers are not being
answered. as we expected or as we hoped. None calleth for justice,
nor any speaketh for truth. They trust in vanity and speak
lies. They conceive mischief and bring
forth iniquity. Well, so easy it is to be taken
up with ourself. And then he comes on to say,
their feet run to evil. and they make haste to shed innocent
blood. Their thoughts are thoughts of
iniquity. See, no one else sees our thoughts
apart from God. God knows all about our thoughts,
each one of us, and how true this is. As the Lord says, their
thoughts are thoughts of iniquity. wasting and destruction are in
their paths the way of peace they know not see if we walk
contrary to God in our thoughts, in our words, in our actions
whatever it may be and sometimes we may think it's a very minor
issue not worth really considering and yet you see if it is contrary
to God Can you see there is a just reward? And what we find is the
way of peace they know not. Peace is a very wonderful and
a very beautiful blessing. It's also very elusive. It's
not something that we can find ourselves just sailing on restfully
for the rest of our life. because our great adversary the
devil who goes about seeking whom he may devour comes into
our lives and thrusts thoughts thoughts which we never wanted
I wonder if you understand what that really is maybe just doing
something quite innocently and sometimes an evil thought thrusts
itself into your mind you find the devil is very active
very active to find, as it were, a little chink in our armour
that he can get through and plague us plague us and sometimes wonder
where our mind gets to well we have to confess it is the sin
which does so easily beset us and we prove in these things
the power of Satan and the cleverness of Satan and as I've sometimes
said Satan knows what my weaknesses are, he knows what your weaknesses
are. And they may be very, very different.
But he's a whiny foe, and he will home in on our weaknesses. And bring us, therefore, into
a situation, a situation of darkness, as the prophet goes on to say. In 9th verse he says, therefore,
is judgment far from us, neither doth justice overtake us. We
wait for light, but behold obscurity, for brightness, but we walk in
darkness. We grope for the wall, like the
blind, and we grope as if we had no eyes. We stumble at noonday
as in the night. We are in desolate places as
dead men. Well, the prophet here is tracing
out something of the pathway of a true believer. You may say,
well, why is that? I'll tell you why it is. It's
because the devil wants to overcome us. And therefore, the devil
doesn't want us to have any peace. He doesn't want us to have any
rest, really. And he wants us, therefore, to walk contrary to
God. Well, what a blessing it is that
we have a God who is wonderfully merciful and gracious. And that
really comes forth and comes out and is set forth in this
verse. This sentence that we read in
this 19th verse, when the enemy shall come in like a flood. Well, I expect we've all seen
floods in one way or another when it's rained and sometimes
it's rained very hard and very suddenly. And sometimes there's
been a very quick flood. And sometimes the rain's been
very persistent and slow and yet it's still achieved the same
end and has produced a flood. And so that's really the same
in the spiritual life. Sometimes a flood comes very
quickly. There's a great downpour, not
of rain, but perhaps a great downpour of sin. and we find
it's like a flood and it rises up or it might just be something
very subtle we hardly notice just a little here and just a
little there but the problem is it's progress and we find
it continues to increase and it becomes like a flood and then
we realize the words here, when the enemy when the enemy shall
come in like a flood the Word of God is very strong and very
positive and perhaps we think, well I don't think I'll ever
have to endure a flood either slowly or quickly and yet the
Word of God here is clear when the enemy, and the enemy is the
enemy of our souls, Satan, shall come in like a flood. He should
not therefore expect to escape. Benedevolent doesn't leave any
of his children alone. He worries them, he pesters them,
because he wants to drown them if he can. He wants the flood
to increase to such a degree that they're drowned. Their life
is lost and he's gained the victory. Well, thanks be to God. We have
the glorious antidote or answer to such a position. The prophet's
able to spell it out very clearly. The Spirit of the Lord shall
lift up a standard against him. The margin tells us that the
Spirit of the Lord can put the evil one to flight. It's a wonderful
relief sometimes, isn't it? And it's a great blessing if
we prove the truth of it. Because the reality is we cannot
get rid of the devil by ourselves. We may try desperately. We may
pray often. It doesn't seem to make any impression
upon our God. The reality is God waits to be
gracious. He will be gracious. He will
not leave us and he will not forsake us because we have this
statement. The Spirit of the Lord shall
lift up a standard against him, shall make a way of escape. But it's when you and I fail
to make any progress naturally, then it is the Lord comes graciously
we can say gloriously and brings wonderful relief. And that relief
of course comes when the Saviour draws near. What a difference
that makes. What a wonderful change there
is then in our spiritual outlook. And then we recognise it is the
Lord. wonderful favour. Again, just
to continue a little on this chapter, the Prophet goes on
and says, For our transgressions are multiplied before thee, and
our sins testify against us. For our transgressions are with
us, and as for our iniquities, we know them. In transgressing
and lying against the Lord, and departing away from our God speak
in oppression and revolt conceiving and uttering from the heart words
of falsehood naturally we might think however can these things
occur? well they do occur they do occur
because the devil never wants to give up and he wants to overthrow
us And we should never think that we live a perfect life,
and we should never think that we'll never be overcome, and
we should never think that we will ever fall into sin, be it
just in our minds. The devil knows how to come in
suddenly, very suddenly sometimes. Well, what a mercy it is when
we have a realization that we have a great and gracious God. And the prophet says, yea, truth
faileth, and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey. And the Lord saw it, and it displeased
him that there was no judgment. And he saw that there was no
man and wondered that there was no intercessor therefore his
arm brought salvation unto him and his righteousness it sustained
him well it's a great blessing when we're brought to the position
to realise that we do need an intercessor there's only one
true and great and glorious intercessor and that is the Lord Jesus Christ. Now the Lord brings his people
into paths like this to instruct us and to teach us and we have
to come Indeed, as the hymn writer says, no help in self I find,
and yet have sought it well. Yes, there's no help in ourselves. And what a blessing it is to
realise there is help. and the help is in our Saviour,
the Lord Jesus Christ. And so, the Spirit of the Lord
shall lift up a standard against him. And that can come very suddenly. You may wonder, well, where is
the scene going to end? And then suddenly, the light of the Gospel shines
into our hearts and we find that we are a changed person whereas
we were really in darkness now the light has shone naturally
speaking what a difference there is between light and dark what
a difference there is between spiritual darkness and spiritual
light And we have to realise it is the Lord's mercy that we
are not consumed because his compassions fail not. Isn't it
wonderful to think that we have a compassionate God, a God who
is very gracious, a God who is very merciful, And a God who
does not cut us off as a cumbra of the ground, and that means
something of no value. We might sometimes think that's
our condition. We may sometimes have to say,
can ever God dwell here in such a heart as mine? Well, the Lord
brings us It is His work to bring us there, to make us understand
the exceeding sinfulness of sin and to teach us that even what
we might consider a small sin is sufficient to keep us out
of heaven at last. So the reality is nothing really
is small. before God. And we should never
think that well that was only a small sin. I can get away with
that. Every sin needs to be atoned
for. Every sin needs to be taken away. And there's only one way that
that occurs. And that's through the precious
blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. It is true that The Lord God
leads his people in the right way. And that way is to make
us, again as the hymn writer says, sick of self and fond of
him. To realise what a great and glorious
saviour we have. One who went about not pleasing
himself. He did the will of his father.
And again, a great and glorious example for us, isn't it? So
easily. We go about, don't we, pleasing
ourself. Is it pleasing to God? That's
the great question, isn't it? Is our life pleasing to God? Just because it pleases us in
the way that we're walking and the things we're doing and the
things that we're thinking, is it pleasing to God? it's good
isn't it to be able to stop and think and check whether it is
so and to realise then the mercy of God what a merciful God we
have if it wasn't for God's mercy you and I wouldn't even be here
tonight we would have been cut off cast
into hell because of our sins but it is because of the Lord's
mercy that we are not consumed. Mercy is welcome news indeed
to those who guilty stand. And it's wonderful, isn't it,
if we come to that place where we have to plead then for mercy. All our clever prayers, all the
words that we think were very adequate We have to pass over
and come very simply to the prayer of the publican, which is very
suitable for every truly born-again child of God. God, be merciful
to me, a sinner. We won't be satisfied, like the
Pharisee was, of his life. We'll realize how we fail, but
we're thankful to know there is a God who is merciful. And
we're thankful to believe that if we're given that prayer, God-given
prayer, from our heart, we can believe, as the Lord said of
that man, we go down to our house justified. Not because of what
we've done, but because of what the Lord Jesus Christ has done
on our behalf. Now you see, in that position,
in that understanding, that's when the Spirit of the Lord lifts
up this standard, the Blessed Saviour, for us. And the devil
cannot stand against this wonderful view of the suffering Saviour
dying upon the cross at Calvary. It's wonderful words, look unto
me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth, for I am God and
there's none else. As indeed Isaiah tells us how
true it is and how needful it is. They want to be very conscious
of it and we want to be given grace to do it because Again,
we don't always think of it. Don't always rely upon it. You might think, well it's obvious.
Of course it's obvious. But you see, when the devil brings
you and me into darkness, we forget the obvious. We forget the glorious light
of the Gospel. And we forget to come and to
look to the Saviour. But what a mercy. the Lord comes
and brings these things to our remembrance. It's as if there's
a wonderful ray of light which suddenly comes down from heaven
and touches our heart. And we rejoice in it because
that light brings with it freedom, brings with it forgiveness, brings
with it salvation. What a mercy then that we have
such a great and kind and glorious God. Well then, says the prophet,
when the enemy shall come in like a flood. And I think it's
very clear that Isaiah wrote this, but Isaiah knew what he
was writing. And he didn't write something
which he hadn't experienced himself. He knew. what the pathway was
of the children of God. And as you and I read through
the Word of God, there are so many ways that we can be encouraged. Our problem is that so often
we fail to study the Scriptures. We might read the Scriptures.
It's very easy to read the Scriptures, just in a normal way of reading. reading a chapter or chapter
or two or whatever it is we read and not reading it very carefully
and not reading it very prayerfully and not really benefiting from
the words that we read well what a good thing it is when the Holy
Spirit directs us like this to remember yes we have a great
enemy but we have a greater saviour a greater saviour Yes, when the
enemy does come in, which he does, which he will, to remember
there is a great and glorious spirit of the Lord which does
lead us and directs us and puts to flight the devil. The devil cannot face Calvary. He cannot face Calvary. and therefore
when we may appear to be overcome to come to the foot of the cross
and to look to the Saviour and to believe that He hears our
cry perhaps that's all it is, I was going to say prayer but
a cry is really just a very simple exclamation a crying to God for
help, a crying to God for mercy, and then to realise His favour
and blessing. And why is that? It's because
He loves us. Why is that? He loves us and
the great truth is that through such a path we are being made
conformable unto his image that's a very humbling statement it's
a very humbling experience but it's a very blessed statement
a very blessed experience when we find the Lord is dealing with us as
sons and daughters of the Most High God and it's making us conformable
to himself. That means to look in measure
like the glorious saviour and react in measure like the glorious
saviour. These grand and glorious positions
do not come through the flesh. They do not come because of the
will of man they come through the will of Almighty God and
again how wonderful that is to realise that the Holy Spirit
looks upon us He knows exactly what we need and sometimes it's
as though the Lord says thus far shalt thou go and no further,
and here shall thy proud waves be stayed. What a kind and gracious
God we have. What a wonderful favour it is
to be found walking in the gospel way. How easy it is to walk in
other ways. What a blessing when the Holy
Spirit turns our feet to walk in the gospel way. You may say
well that's obvious isn't it? Well it is obvious but by nature
we're very obstinate and by nature we're very sinful and by nature
we're attentive often to what the devil says and the inferences
he brings into our mind but what a blessing when we can look out
of ourselves when we can come and look to the Saviour and realise
the glory and the wonder of that finished work. So although we
may sometimes be overcome, yet to believe and to know that because
the Lord Jesus has overcome all that the devil could throw at
him, yes, the Saviour overcame. And the glorious truth is, and
we are more than conquerors through him. Well, it's a great and wonderful
truth to consider. And we should not therefore be
surprised that we are tempted. We only have to look at the life
of the Lord Jesus. Remember, after he was baptised,
led into the wilderness, what for? To be tempted. the devil tempted the devil the
Lord was but he resisted he answered the devil he wasn't taken in
what a wonderful blessing to have that wonderful example before
us because that means the Lord Jesus he understands all about
us He knows what sore temptation is because He's known the same. Yes, we have a great and glorious
Saviour who understands all about us. The Word of God encourages
us to commit our way unto the Lord, to trust also in Him, that
He will bring it to pass. He'll bring about deliverance.
How often we try and deliver ourselves. Let us be found remembering
we have a great and glorious advocate with the Father, Jesus
Christ, the righteous. And so when the enemy shall come
in, remember, he will, like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall,
remember, it will lift up a standard against him. So be encouraged. You may feel perhaps the journey
is very difficult, the pathway is very hard, there's much opposition. Don't forget the path of the
Saviour. Don't forget what He endured. And through that endurance, we
have great and glorious hope and a good hope of eternal life,
to one day be found with our conquering Saviour. And it won't
be then because of what we have done. It'll be because of what
He has done. And He will have all the honour
and all the glory. And surely, as we journey on
through life and as we know something of what this sentence tells us,
to be able to come with a truly thankful heart and to praise
our God, How often we fail, don't we, to thank God for His goodness
and mercy toward us, in not dealing with us as our sins deserve.
We have a very gracious and loving God and how we should desire
more and more to thank Him and to praise Him for all His help,
for all His instruction, for all His guidance, for all His
long-suffering, towards such an unworthy sinner? Well, surely
we have the words of the psalmist. He said, Praise waiteth for thee
in Zion and unto thee shall a vow be performed. Well, I hope that
praise is waiting in Zion. Praise from us. to praise our
God so that His name is lifted up and honoured and glorified. He is worthy, is He not? Worthy
of our praise, worthy of our thanksgiving, that we are favoured
to have a knowledge of this great and glorious Saviour and to realise
He has heard our prayers. perhaps heard that great and
wonderful prayer, God, be merciful to me a sinner. And we can acknowledge,
yes, God heard my prayer. God answered my prayer. God did not deal with me as my
sins deserve, but he led me to himself. As it were, he took
me by my hand and he led me safely on. Well, surely we have reason
then to come and say and exclaim, what a saviour. I hope we do. I hope we can. because of God's goodness and
favour toward us his wonderful love his wonderful mercy come
and say what a saviour and be able to understand what the prophet
says when the enemy shall come in like a flood and be sure of
this all of us will walk this path because it says shall the
Spirit of the Lord shall recognises also everyone also will be delivered
because the word of God tells us so. So it is the path of the
true believer to make us sick of self and fond of him. Amen.