Let us turn once again to God's
Word in the book of the Prophet Isaiah chapter 55. I'm directing you this morning to
the words that we have here at verses 3 and 4. Isaiah 55, 3 and 4. Incline your ear and come
unto me. Herein your soul shall live. And I will make an everlasting
covenant with you, even the sure mercies of David. Behold, I have
given him for a witness to the people, a leader and commander
to the people. Here then in Isaiah 55, 3 and
4 and the subject matter that I in particular want to take
up is that of the sure mercies of David, the sure mercies of
David. The reference of course is to
God's everlasting covenant of grace and how comforting it is when
we come to consider something that is eternal, enduring. We come to
the turn of the year, the days, the weeks, the months pass, time
hurries on and yet there is this covenant that endures through
time and through all eternity. I'm thinking of the significance
of the name that is given to the covenant here, the sure mercies
of David. It's a theme that we've considered
on previous occasions but surely it bears examination time and
again. There's so much that we can draw
out to comfort our souls as dear John Kent reminds us of in that
lovely 87th hymn that we just sang. Considering then three
headings this morning, I want to say something with regards
to the parties of the covenant, and then to look at the properties
of this covenant, what sort of a covenant is it, and then last
of all, what a provision it is that God makes for his people
in the covenant. Firstly then the parties, and
of course the principal party must be the Lord God Himself. It is truly His covenant. I will make, He says, I will
make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure mercies
of David, but with whom Is it that God is entering into this
covenant with? Who are the other parties involved? Well, we can speak of three.
In a sense, there's first of all, of course, David himself,
because the covenant he's given that name, the sure mercies of
David, the mercies that belong unto David. And we were very much reminded
of that in the portion of Scripture that we read there in 2 Samuel
chapter 7, the word that the prophet Nathan brings to David
and David's remarkable response in his prayer. The words that
the Prophet speaks are recorded there at verse 12 and the following
verses. What is it that Nathan is doing? Well, he's answering David with
regards to David's intention to build
the house of God, the temple, but he was not to be the one
who would do that. It wasn't that God required of
him, but rather does God come and give a great promise to David. Certainly there at verse 12,
when thy days be fulfilled, he says, and thou shalt sleep with
thy fathers. I will set up thy seed after
thee, which shall proceed out of thy bowels, and I will establish
his kingdom." There's a reference clearly to his son Solomon who
would be the one who would eventually build that house. He shall build
a house for my name. and I will establish the throne
of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, he shall
be my son. If he commit iniquity, I will
chasten him with the rod of men and with the stripes of the children
of men. But my mercy shall not depart
away from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away before
thee. And thy house and thy kingdom
shall be established forever. before my throne shall be established
forever. And so as God continues to give
this word through his servant Nathan to David, this great promise,
we see that it clearly reaches far beyond Solomon because the
kingdom that is to be established is an eternal kingdom. Thine
house and thy kingdom shall be established forever before thy
throne shall be established forever." So, ultimately, the promise centers
in David's seed, which as Paul says there in the opening words
of Romans, that seed is Christ's, made of the seed of David, according
to the flesh, that is the Lord Jesus Christ. But the promise
is very much addressed to David in his day and in his generation
and there's not only those words that we have there in that seventh
chapter but when we come to the end of the book of course we
read something more concerning the covenant with David and surely
in chapter 23 David is very much aware of those words that he
had received at the mouth of Nathan, the Lord's prophet. Remember
the language that we have here in 2 Samuel 23, these be the
last words of David. David the son of Jesse said,
and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed of the
God of Jacob and the sweet psalmist of Israel said, the Spirit of
the Lord spake by me. And His word was in my tongue,
the God of Israel said, the Rock of Israel spake to me. He that
ruleth over men must be just ruling in the fear of God. And
He shall be as the light of the morning, when the sun riseth
even the morning without clouds, as the tender grass springing
out of the earth by clear shining after rain. Although my house
be not so with God's, yet He hath made with me an everlasting
covenant. It is a gain, you see, it's an
everlasting covenant, ordered in all things and sure, for this
is all my salvation and all my desire, although he make it not
to grow. Again and again we see that the
covenant is very much made between God and David, and it concerns
his son Solomon, yes, in the historic context, but also in
that real spiritual sense it centers in his greatest son,
even in the Lord Jesus Christ, of whom David himself is a remarkable
type, as we said before. We have the language of the Psalmist,
so many of the Psalms, Psalms of David. But look at the words
that we find there in Psalm 89, a masculine of Ethan the Ezraite. And what do we read here? Verse
3, I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto
David my servant. And then Later at verse 34, My
covenant will I not break, nor alter the thing that is gone
out of My lips. Once have I sworn by My holiness that I will not
lie unto David. Or what a covenant then is this
covenant that God is making with His servant with David. Again
here, in Psalm 89 verse 19, Then thou spakest in vision to thy
Holy One, and said, I have laid help upon one that is mighty.
I have exalted one chosen out of the people. I have found David
my servant. With my holy oil have I anointed
him. David, such a Remarkable man,
a wonderful type of the Lord Jesus Christ. His very name,
as you know, literally means the Beloved. And the Beloved
One, it was the Anointed One. And now we see these coming together,
even at the baptising of the Lord Jesus Christ, there by John
in the River Jordan. And as the Lord comes up out
of those waters of baptism, there's the opening of the heavens, there's
the descending of the Holy Ghost in the form of a dove and settling
upon Him, God giving not His Spirit by measure unto Christ. And then the Father Himself speaks
those words from heaven. This is my beloved Son. This
is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. He is the Anointed One and He
is the Son, the Eternal Son of the Eternal Father. And so whilst
in the historical context here in the Old Testament it's a covenant
that is made with David, yet there's something so much more
profound when we consider who David was and that one who was
to come as the seed of David. And so, we're to understand that
the covenant is made between God and Christ. And there is
no disputing it because it is stated so clearly when we come
to the New Testament Scriptures. And we always, as I've said so
many times, have to read back into the Old Testament from the
New Testament. The key to our understanding
of the scriptures is found in that fullness of the revelation
that comes with the Lord Jesus Christ. And we have the sermon
of Paul there at Antioch in Pisidia and how he takes up the words
of the text this morning and applies them quite clearly to
Christ in In Acts 13, the detail of that
sermon, verse 32, Paul says, We declare
unto you glad tidings, and that the promise which was made unto
the fathers, God hath fulfilled the same unto us, their children,
in that he hath raised up Jesus again, as it is also written
in the second Psalm, Thou art my Son. this day have I begotten
thee." And as concerning that He raised him up from the dead,
now no more to return to corruption, He said on this wise, I will
give you the sure mercies of David. I will give you, it's
God's Word, it's God's promise ultimately to the Lord Jesus
Christ. The sure mercies of David, as
we have it here in the text before us. What does he go on to say in
verse 4? Behold, I have given him for
a witness to the people, a leader and a commander to the people.
Here is the description of our David. It's the sure mercies
of David and then, behold, we are to consider who this David
is. And three things we can observe
with regards to him. He is a witness. He is that one
who is the witness of the Covenant. And who is the witness? Well
again, doesn't the New Testament open the truth to us? Isn't the
key found even there in the book of the Revelation? Revelation 1 verse 5 we read
of Jesus Christ who is the faithful witness. And then again in chapter
3 and verse 14 he is spoken of as the Amen, the faithful and
true witness. The Lord Jesus then is that one
who is being described here in the detail of the text that we're
considering. And he's not only spoken of as
that one who is a witness, but also a leader and commander to
the people. Oh, he is a leader. And the word
that we have here is derived from the verb to lead. In other words, he is that one
who goes before. He is that one who leads in the
way. He's in front. And isn't that
what the Lord Jesus Christ is? He is that good shepherd. And remember how in the East
the shepherds did not drive their flocks but they went before their
flocks. And they led them. And David
himself was so aware of this. He was a shepherd boy himself.
And we have that shepherd, Psalm 23, the Lord is my shepherd,
I shall not want. He maketh me to lie down in green
pastures. He leadeth me. He leadeth me
beside the still waters. Oh, he is that one then who is
ever leading and guiding and directing his people. My sheep, he says, hear my voice. And I know them. and they follow
me, and I give unto them everlasting life, eternal life, and they
shall never perish." What do we have here in the opening words
of this great 55th chapter? Oh everyone that thirsteth, it
says, come ye to the waters. The thirsty are invited to come
to the waters. But isn't the truth this, that
we know not how to find that way to the waters? It is the
Good Shepherd Himself who must lead us. As David says there
in the psalm, He leads me beside the still waters. Oh, it is clearly
the Lord Jesus Christ that we have set before us in the text
this morning. And as he is that one who is
the witness and the leader, so also in verse 40 is spoken of
as the commander. Behold, I have given him for
a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people. And when we think of a commander,
surely we're to think in military terms. He is that one surely
that he's the great conqueror. How He has vanquished sin, Satan,
death, the grave. Now Paul brings it out in that
great 15th chapter of 1 Corinthians. Or we see it so evidently there
in verses 55 to 57. Or death where is I see. O grave, where is thy victory?
The sting of death is sin, the strength of sin is the law. But
thanks be to God who giveth us the victory through our Lord
Jesus Christ. Has he not answered all the demands
of that holy and righteous Lord of God? And so the accuser of
the brethren can no longer lay any charge against those who
are truly in the Lord Jesus Christ. He is that one who is spoken
of as the captain of salvation. He has saved His people by the
shedding of His own precious blood. He has accomplished all
that great work that the Father gave to Him. And so we see Him
as one having accomplished salvation will bring that salvation to
His people. Verse 5, Behold thou shalt call
a nation that thou knowest not, and nations that knew not thee
shall run unto thee, because of the Lord thy God, and for
the Holy One of Israel, for he hath glorified thee. All Christ
must see of the travail of his soul. And he will be satisfied
with all that he receives. We have it there at the end of
the 53rd chapter. Verse 12, Therefore will I divide him a portion with
the great, he shall divide the spoil with the strong. The spoils
of his warfare, you see, how he has vanquished all the powers
of darkness, how he has defeated Satan, how he has overcome sins. I will divide In proportion with
the great, says the Lord God, 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. Who is the covenant
made with? It's made with this David. Even
David's greatest son, the seed of David. A real man. Oh, the man Christ Jesus, though,
is never anything less than true Almighty God. He is God, manifest
in the flesh. And we have it there in that
portion that we read in 2 Samuel 7, 19. At the end
of that verse we read, And is this the manner of man, O Lord
God? What does that mean? And is this
the manner of man, O Lord God? It's a clause that is recognized
to be a difficult passage to rightly translate and interpret. And that's indicated because
there's an alternative word in the margin. But I was struck
to discover how Luther renders it. And this is how the Reformer
renders it. Thou hast looked upon me as in
the form of a man who on high is the Lord God. What is Luther saying? Well, he's addressing God himself. It's all part of David's prayer,
of course. And he says, Thou hast looked
upon me as in the form of a man The one high is the Lord God.
So the one who is looking upon him in the form of man is none
other than the Lord God. Luther sees it clearly as declaring
the truth of the incarnation, God manifest in the flesh. God
coming to him as he came to David to reveal himself. It is Christ
and only Christ who is the image of the invisible God. And what
is the Lord Jesus Christ as the God-man? Well, he's the witness
of the covenant, but he's also, as we know, the mediator. The
mediator, we're told, of a better covenant which was established
upon better promises. The comparison being made between
what we have in the Old Testament and what we have in the New Testament.
All the the promises and there are promises to David and there
are promises to Israel that is ethnic Israel but there are better
promises that center in God's true Israel, God's spiritual
Israel because they are not all Israel that are of Israel and
Christ is the mediator of that better covenant he is the head
of the body the church and so We have to recognize that believers,
those who are in Christ, are also party to the Covenant. He has made it with Christ, but
he has made it on behalf of all those who are in Christ. He is the Head of the Body, the
Church. And so the Covenant is with those
who are looking to Him and trusting and resting in him, the parties
of the covenant. But let us, in the second place,
look more carefully and closely at the properties that belong
to this covenant. It's an everlasting covenant
and it's spoken of in terms of the sure mercies, even the sure
mercies of David. I mentioned four particular properties
that we can take account of. Firstly, as we've already said,
it is everlasting. It's an everlasting covenant.
And remember who the chief party is in this covenant. It is the
Lord God himself. And isn't God that one who is
eternal? before the mountains were brought
forth, wherever thou hadst formed the earth and the world. Even
from everlasting to everlasting thou art God. If it's God's covenant
then, it will be like unto the Lord God Himself. It's an eternal
covenant. And as it is eternal, so in the
second place, it clearly is sure. Is it not spoken of as the sure
mercies of David? And remember the language that
we have there in Hebrews 6, how this is the covenant that God
makes with Abraham. Christ comes as Abraham's seed
as he comes as David's seed. And when God made promise to
Abraham, we're told there in Hebrews 6, because he could swear
by no greater, he swore by himself. And then Paul goes on in that
passage to speak of those two unchangeable things. There is God's promise, and there
is God's oath. And this is the believer's hope.
It enters into heaven it's like an anchor of the soul he says
sure and steadfast you can read the passage there in Hebrew 6
verse 13 following the covenant of God it's sure it's steadfast it's an unchanging covenant and
then furthermore we have to recognize that it is a covenant that is
ordered and we have that in what David
says there in his last will and testament these be the last words
of David in 2nd Samuel 23 although my house be not so with God yet
he has made with me an everlasting covenant he says ordered in all
things and sure as it is sure so it is ordered and he says
this is all my salvation, this is all my desire though we make
it not to grow and it's interesting isn't it the way in which David
is expressing himself there that great verse we've looked at it
on previous occasions 2 Samuel 23 5 although my house be not
so with God or what promises God had given to him concerning
his house in chapter 7 of that book and yet he looks at his
own house although we make it not to grow, he says at the end
of that fifth verse all that had happened with his own family,
with his own children Amnon, his son, lasting after his half-sister
Tamar, forcing himself upon her and then turning against her,
despising her and the rage of Absalom who was her brother of
course And Absalom obtains his revenge upon Amnon and Absalom
bows against his father David, seeks to seize the kingdom. Absalom
is killed. Oh David, as he looks at his
family, as he looks at his children, even after David has declared
that it is Solomon who should succeed him as the king. When
we come over into the first book of Kings we see how Adonijah
seeks to seize the kingdom from Solomon. Although my house be
not so with God, he says. All the rebellion, all the sin that was
there amongst David's own children. And yet the covenant is ordered.
The covenant is ordered. Remarkable, isn't it, that little
couplet that we have in Ralph Erskine's Gospel Sonnets. I'm
sure many of you are aware of that little couplet. Sin for
my good doth work and win, yet it is not good that I should
sin. We don't excuse sins. But such
is the remarkable sovereignty of the God of grace that I think
Erskineth is just about right. Sin for my good doth work and
win, yet it is not good that I should sin. And we see it so
remarkably in Christ and certainly in the death of Christ. How was
he delivered to death? It was God's eternal purpose. He was delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God. He must die. But what does Peter say in his
sermon there in Acts 2? In being delivered by the determinate
counsel and foreknowledge of God, he hath taken them by wicked
hands of crucified and slain. And they were culpable, they
were guilty of killing the Lord of glory, those Jews, But let
us not be too severe there because it was our sins that nailed him
to the cross. Well, this is a remarkable thing. God is that one who overrules
all things. It's a covenant that, sure, it's
ordered in all things. And so we have those great words
of Romans 8. We know. that all things work
together for good to them that love God, to them who are the
called according to His purpose. Are we those who believe in the
goodness and the grace of God? We are the called according to
His purpose. Do we really believe that all
things in our lives are working together for good? Or David could
say, although my house, my heart, my frame, they're all out of
order. Everything seems to be only confusion.
I look and I can see nothing but confusion. But we have this
covenant, you see. And it's a covenant, it's ordered.
In all things and it's sure. But I said five things. Everlasting. Sure. Ordered. Fourthly, not
five things, four things. And the fourth is this. It's
a merciful covenant. What do we read? It's the sure
mercies of David. Isn't that our theme this morning? An everlasting covenant. Even
the sure mercies of David. And what a word is this. Oh,
what a word is this. It's a word so full of meaning. So pregnant. Oftentimes, it's rendered loving-kindness. It speaks really of God's faithfulness
in the covenant. The sovereignty of the grace
of God. And again, in that 89th Psalm
that we referred to previously, look at the words that we have
there. this masculine of Esau and the Ezraite verse 33 nevertheless my loving
kindness there's the word it's that word that we have as the
sure mercies here in Isaiah 55 how the children of Israel you
see had sinned forsaking God's law, walking
not in God's judgments, breaking His statutes, keeping not God's
commandments. God says, then will I visit their
transgression with the rod and their iniquity with stripes.
Nevertheless, all those blessed neverthelesses, nevertheless,
my lovingkindness, will I not utterly take from Him, nor suffer
my faithfulness to fail. My covenant will I not break,
nor alter the thing that is gone out of my lips. Once have I sworn
by my holiness that I will not lie unto David." Here is our
comfort, you see. We have the Word of God. We have
the Word of God's promise. We have that promise confirmed
by His oath. He has magnified His Word above
all His name, as the psalmist says in Psalm 138. Nevertheless,
my loving kindness, it's mercy. Oh it's mercy through and through. And then finally this morning
to say something with regards to the provisions. The provisions
of the covenant. Going back to the last verse there in chapter 54. Of course the the divisions that
we're so familiar with, the chapters, the verses, they so help us to
find our way around God's work. But in many ways, sometimes they
hinder us because we fail to see the connection between verses
or even chapters. What does it say at the end here,
of chapter 54? This is the heritage of the servants
of the Lord, and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord." This
is the heritage. Five or six things we see here
when we look at the context. What is the heritage? Well, isn't
there the promise of God? And what a promise is that? Back in verse 5 of chapter 54,
thy maker is thine husband. the Lord of Hosts is his name,
and thy Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel, the God of the whole
earth, shall he be called? Oh, this God, this God is the
husband. This God is the one who loves
his wife, and he's given himself to redeem
her, and he's the God of the whole earth. there's God's promise
but there's also that call verse 6 the Lord hath called thee as
a woman forsaken and grieved in spirit and a wife of youth
when thou wast refused saith thy God oh how God has called
his people he's called them even to himself And what sort of a
call is it? It's an effectual call. Because
he gathers his people to himself, verse 7, with great mercies. Oh, with great mercies will I
gather the, he says. Even when he deals with his people
in the ways of chastenings, He'll still gather them. Verse 8, In
a little wrath I hid my face from thee for a moment, but with
everlasting kindness will I have mercy on thee, saith the Lord
thy Redeemer. All of this, you see, is the
heritage of the servants of the Lord. They have God's promise,
they have God's call, and they have God as their teacher. Verse 13 of that 54th chapter. All thy children shall be taught
of the Lord. All thy children shall be taught
of the Lord. Why? It's the very words that
the Lord Jesus Christ reminds us of. There in John 6.45 it
is written in the Prophets. And they shall be all taught
of God. Every man therefore that hath heard and learned of the
Father cometh unto the earth. Oh, if we're taught of God, we'll
come to Christ. There's the mark of God's teaching. The Lord teaches His people that
great lesson over and over and over and over again. They have
to keep on coming and coming and coming and coming to the
Lord Jesus Christ. It's written in the prophets,
says Christ. And it's written here in Isaiah 54. It's the heritage. of all the Lord's servants. And then also there's God's invitation. When we come over into chapter
55, O everyone that searcheth, come ye to the waters, he that
hath no money, come ye by and eat ye, come by wine and milk
without money and without price. Wherefore do ye spend money for
that which is not bread, and your labour for that which satisfies
not. Hearken diligently unto me, and
eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself
in fatness. Incline your ear, and come unto
me here, and your soul shall live. And what do we see when
we examine God's invitation? We're reminded, aren't we, of
the importance of hearing. Here in verse 2, how are we to hear, hearken,
diligently it says. How important is that little
adverb, where to hear diligently. In verse 3, incline your ear,
look up the ear, listen to what God is saying, His gracious word,
of invitation. Faith cometh by hearing, and
hearing by the words of God. And those searching words that
we have in Hebrews chapter 4 concerning the children of Israel in the
wilderness, the words preached did not profit them, not being
mixed with faith in them that heard it. There's no prophet
in the word of God without faith. We have to believe. All we have
to believe what the Lord God is saying. Fifthly, we might say there's
righteousness here. Again, that 17th verse in the
previous chapter, this is the heritage of the servants of the
Lord and their righteousness is of me, saith the Lord. Oh,
there's a righteousness. And where is that righteousness?
Why, it's in Christ. Isn't that His name? The Lord's,
our righteousness? Isn't that the name whereby she
is brightest to be called? The Lord, our righteousness.
Is he not her husband? Has she not taken his name? Oh,
she has a righteousness. She's a justified sinner. All
these provisions that the Lord God has made in the covenant.
And of course, ultimately, this is God's provision, it's God's
covenant. It is God's own covenant. As the text says so clearly,
I will make I will make an everlasting covenant with you, even the sure
mercies of David. And God doesn't forget, you know,
what He has laid up in that covenant. The psalmist says there in Psalm
106, verse 45, He remembered for them His covenant. Oh, He
remembered for them His covenant again. Look at the language in
the previous 105th Psalm. Same truth, verse 18, he has
remembered his covenant forever. The word which he commanded to
a thousand generations, which covenant he made with Abraham
and his oath unto Isaac and confirmed the same unto Jacob for a law
and to Israel. for an everlasting covenant.
Oh, we have the covenant. And what are we to do with the
covenant? Well, finally, should we not be those who would pray
over the covenant? Should we not be those who plead
the covenant? Psalm 74, verse 20. We have a
prayer. Might it be our prayer as we
come into this year, have respect unto the covenant, for the dark
places of the earth are full of the habitations of cruelty. Oh what a world it is, lies in
the wicked one. The dark places, full of the
habitations of cruelty. And yet this is where God has
set us, this is where we have to live our lives. But we have
the covenants, and we have the covenants to plead, we have the
covenants to feed on. Oh, remember Cromwell's dying
words to his own house, to his own children, I leave you the
covenants to feed on. I will make an everlasting covenant
with you. even the sure mercies of David.
Behold, I have given him for a witness to the people, a leader
and commander to the people. May the Lord be pleased to bless
His Word to us. Amen.