Well, let us turn to God's Word,
and I want this morning to direct you to words in the prophecy
of Isaiah, the book of the prophet Isaiah. I'm reading chapter 54 and verses
9 and 10. For this is as the waters of
Noah unto me, For as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should
no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I would not
be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountain shall depart,
and the hills shall be removed, but my kindness shall not depart
from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed,
saith the Lord. that hath mercy on thee. Isaiah 54 verses 9 and 10 and
the subject matter that we have here is that of the waters of
Noah. Observe how that expression is
mentioned twice there at the beginning of verse 9. the waters
of Noah, or more particularly we might say the covenant that
God made with Noah. That is the subject matter then
that is being addressed in the words of our text. For this is
as the waters of Noah unto me. For as I have sworn that the
waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I
sworn that I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountain shall depart,
and the hill shall be removed, but my kindness shall not depart
from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed. Saith the Lord that hath mercy
on thee. In a sense in these words we
are reminded of the historicity of that portion of scripture
that we read in Genesis chapter 8 and that part of chapter 9,
the history of the universal flood and how after that terrible
judgment God had preserved Noah and his family and God causes the waters to abate
and they come forth out of the ark into, as it were, a new world. We see then here how that the
Bible is really a hole to us. We deny one part of Holy Scripture
and it destroys another part of the Word of God. Men might
like to say that what we have in those early chapters of Genesis
is nothing more than myth. And yet, if we deny the veracity
of those words, we find that it impinges on other parts where
those events are referred to quite clearly as historic happenings. You see how God's words forms
a totality, there's an interdependence between every part of Holy Scripture. The history that we have then
in the early chapters of Genesis is bound up ultimately with the
promises that God makes to his people, and that's what we have
here in the words of our text. Isaiah, under the inspiration
of the Spirit of God, speaks quite specifically of the waters
of Noah. And he speaks of those waters
of Noah in order to bring forth the truth of God's faithfulness
to all his promises in the Covenant. And so as I said, we have the
waters of Noah, but really it is God's covenant with Noah. And as we come to examine this
text this morning, I want to divide what I say into some three
parts. First of all to take account
of the context here and see how in a sense a contrast is being
drawn when we look at the context. then in the second place to look
more particularly at the covenant itself, the form of the covenant,
and then finally to see how there is a comparison, because we have
simile here with regards to the reference to the waters of Noah. For this is, as the waters of
Noah unto me, for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah should
no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that I would not
be wroth with thee nor rebuke thee. For the mountains shall
depart and the hills be removed, But my kindness shall not depart
from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed,
saith the Lord, that hath mercy on thee. It's simile that we
have and that's what I want us to consider in the third place
as we come to a conclusion this morning. But first of all to
say something with regards to the setting, the context of the
words of the text And here we see there's very much a contrast
being drawn. Look at the opening words in
verse 9. For this is as the waters of
Noah unto me. And then previously, And we see
the connection, you see, the opening word for throws us back
to what has been said, verse 7, for a small moment have I
forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather thee. 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. Surely here we see there is a
very striking contrast being drawn. At the beginning of verse 8 we
have mention of a little wrath. In a little wrath I hid my face
from them. But at the end of verse 7 we
have mention of great mercies. With great mercies will I gather
thee." A little wrath. This is God speaking. This is
what God is telling us concerning Himself. He speaks in terms of
a little wrath. His wrath is little in that sense,
but He speaks of great mercies. How His mercies are so great. And that is a blessed truth,
is it not, that we see here in the Word of God, where sin abounded,
grace did much more abound. Though the flood was a terrible
judgment upon a wicked world, and yet, that is really but a
little wrath, because God always delights in His mercies. As the psalmist says, Psalm 145,
the Lord is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger,
and of great mercy. And so we have this contrast.
On the one hand, the littleness of God's wrath. On the other
hand, we have the greatness of God's mercies. But then we also
see something else here, in the way of contrast. In verse 8,
God speaks of a moment. A moment. I hid my faith from
thee for a moment. It's even stronger really in
the previous 7th verse. He says, for a small moment have
I forsaken thee. Not just a moment, a small moment. And yet, on the other hand, what
do we read at the end of verse 8? We read of God's everlasting
kindness. Oh, He forsakes only for a small
moment. But you see how His kindness
is everlasting, not just for a moment. God's kindness is that
reaches forth into all eternity. Here is another striking contrast. When God is angry, it is only
for a little while. We can think of what Peter says
with regards to the Lord's dealings with his people in 1 Peter 1. He says, Now for a season, if
need be, ye are in heaviness through manifold temptations.
the life of the child of God in the world, the child of God
has to endure tribulation, there's many difficulties, there's trials
that come into his path. But what does God say there through
his servant Peter? Now. Now, he says. Just now. At this moment. for a season. And what is a season? Well, it's just a little while,
just a very short period of time. Now, for a season, if needs be,
you're in heaviness through manifold temptations. Even when God is
dealing with his people, when the temptations come, when the
tribulations come, when the trials come, it's something that will
soon pass away. Here then we see a contrast in
the ways and the dealings of God. Now, of course, historically,
what is being spoken of in this particular chapter is how God
is going to restore them from the Babylonian captivity. Isaiah
is ministering about a hundred years previous to that awful
event that came upon the kingdom of Judah when the City of Jerusalem
was overthrown by the Babylonians and the people were taken into
exile and they were there in Babylon for some 70 years, languishing. But what we have in this chapter
is the promise that there would be a restoring after that period
of exile. In verse 2, "...enlarge the place
of thy tent, Let them stretch forth the curtains of thy inhabitation. Spare not, lengthen thy cords,
and strengthen thy stakes. For thou shalt break forth on
the right hand and on the left, and thy seed shall inherit the
Gentiles, and make the desolate cities to be inhabited." Those
cities, not just Jerusalem, but the other towns and cities in
Judah, in Benjamin, they would be people to gain, they would
be a restoring. They had lain in a desolate condition
during that period of the captivity. But God will bring them again
into the land of promised Jerusalem, will be rebuilt, temple worship
will again be established. Look at verse 11, O thou afflicted,
tossed with tempest, not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones
with fair colors, and lay thy foundations with sapphires, and
I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles,
and all thy borders of pleasant stones. It's the rebuilding of
Jerusalem. In the book of Jeremiah, Well,
in the book of the Lamentations of Jeremiah, in immense, the
awful condition of Jerusalem. But Jerusalem is going to be
made a glorious city again. It's that restoration. And there
is a contrast clearly drawn there in that book of the Lamentations.
Look at the language that we have in the opening chapter of
the Lamentations. Verse 3, Judah is gone into captivity
because of affliction and because of great servitude. She dwelleth
among the heathen. She findeth no rest. All her
persecutors overtook her between the straits. The ways of Zion
do mourn. Because none come to the solemn
feast, all her gates are desolate, her priests sigh, her virgins
are afflicted, and she is in bitterness." This is what God
had done. He'd hid His face. He'd taken away His presence.
He'd removed them. even from the land of promise,
the land of rest, had gone into exile. But see the contrast even
there, because later, of course, we have that lovely third chapter
of the Lamentations. And what does God say? Or what
does the Prophet say as God's servant? There in chapter 3,
verse 31, The Lord will not cast off forever, but though he cause
grief, yet will he have compassion. according to the multitude of
His mercies for He does not afflict willingly nor grieve the children
of men." For He does not afflict willingly, the margin says that
the Hebrew literally means from the heart. He does not afflict
from the heart. All that is all is strange work
when He visits judgments upon His people. That is very much
a strange work that the Lord is doing. That's why it's only
for a moment. Doesn't Isaiah speak of that? Previously, chapter 28 and verse
21, wrath and judgment, he says, is the strange work of God, is
strange acts. He is a God who delights in mercies. And we see that so clearly there
in those verses in Lamentations chapter 3. So, here in the context,
yes they had 70 years in exile, but God is going to restore them,
because God is one who delights in mercies. He is true, He is
faithful to all His promises. But you know, ultimately what
we have in this 54th chapter, as to do with the gospel of the
Lord Jesus Christ. We don't do justice to the words
that we have here unless we see that real spiritual significance
in those words that we read just now in verse 3. Doesn't it speak
of the Gentiles? I see shall inherit the Gentiles. And when we look at the opening
words of the chapter Sing, O barren, thou that didst not bear, break
forth into singing, cry aloud, thou that didst not travail with
child, for more are the children of the desolate than the children
of the married wife, saith the Lord. The married wife is Israel,
Judah. The desolate, that's the Gentile
nations. This chapter ultimately speaks of the Gospel of the Lord
Jesus Christ, and we know that because these words are taken
up in the New Testament. When Paul writes in his epistle
to the Galatians, he quotes those opening words of the chapter.
Look at what we have there in Galatians 4, the end of that chapter, verse
26. He says, Jerusalem which is above is free. which is the
mother of us all. We're not to think in terms of
the city of Jerusalem there in the Middle East. We're not to
think of that geographical, that physical place. No, there's a
Jerusalem above. It's the Church of the Living
God. And look at the language that Paul uses. Here in Galatians
4, Jerusalem which is above is free, which is the mother of
us all. For it is written, Rejoice thou
barren that beareth not. break forth and cry thou that
travailest not. For the desolate hath many more
children than she that hath a husband. Now we, brethren, as Isaac was,
are the children of promise." Oh, it's the children of promise,
the children of the Gospel, those who are trusting in Christ, who
are the Lord's true Israel. These are the Lord's people.
And so, we have to remember that what we have in this chapter
does pertain to us. It belongs to us. These remarkable
words concerning God's covenant. For this is as the waters of
Noah unto me. For as I have sworn that the
waters of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I
sworn that I would not be wroth with thee. nor rebuke they, for
the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my
kindness shall not depart from them, neither shall the covenant
of my peace be removed, except the Lord that hath mercy on them."
All these are written for our learning that we through faith
and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope Well, let us
turn to say something with regards to the covenant that is being
spoken of here. And the language is covenantal
language. Look at the way in which the
Lord God speaks in verse 9. Twice we have that expression,
I have sworn, He says, I have sworn that the waters of Noah
should no more go over the earth. So have I sworn that I would
not Be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. That's the language of
covenant. And then we have mention, of
course. Specific mention of that covenant. In verse 10. Neither shall the covenant of
my peace be removed, saith the Lord, that hath mercy on thee. The covenant of God's peace. Now, what is the covenant of
God's peace? Well, in another prophet, in
Zechariah chapter 6 and verse 13, we read of the council of
peace between them both. The council of peace, the covenant
of my peace. What is the council of peace?
That's God's eternal council. That is that council between
the persons in the Godhead. We know how God enters into council
with himself concerning the creation of man there in Genesis chapter
1 let us make man in our image after our likeness there's a
consultation as it were between the persons in the Godhead and
the council of peace between them both that is that covenant
that has been entered into by God the Father and God the Son
that covenant in which the son who is equal to the father, the
eternal son of the eternal father, God of God. And yet in that covenant
he so willingly becomes the Lord's servant. And in the fullness
of the time the father therefore sends forth his son, made of
a woman, made under the law. In that covenant he agrees to
come in that law place of his people. Well, this is the language
of covenant that we have here then. God's swearing. And then
this reference to the covenant of my peace. Well, what are we
to understand by the word covenant? And I suppose probably the best
illustration that one can think of is that of a marriage, union. When a young couple come together
and marry, what do they do? We're familiar with the sort
of services that are held. There is the exchange of promises
and vows. They speak one to the other in
terms of solemn promises. And it's interesting again here
that we We have this statement in verse 5, thy maker is thy
husband. The Lord of hosts is his name. God did enter into covenant with
his ancient people Israel. Israel was his wife. The Lord
God was their husband. They were typical people. It's
all a type, it's a type of that relationship that God is in with
his spiritual Israel, with his church. But thinking of a covenant,
you see, a marriage is a covenant. It's a mutual covenant. Because
both the man and the woman give their solemn vow and promise
to each other. But how different it is when
we think of God's covenant, because God's covenant is not like that.
God's covenant is unilateral. God's covenant is altogether
one-sided. It's altogether God's covenant.
And here, of course, in verse 10 we have the covenant of my
peace. It doesn't say the covenant of
our peace. It's the covenant of my peace. And remember in Genesis 15 where
we have the record of God entering into covenant with Abraham, that
remarkable chapter. the covenant in which, in a sense,
Abraham is but a bystander. Oh yes, there are animals to
be sacrificed, and there you can read the chapter, Abraham
lays out the parts of the animals that have been sacrificed, but
he watches. He drives away the birds of prey
as they come, and then he sees a remarkable sight. He sees this
fiery furnace, this great light as he were going through the
midst of those parts of the sacrifice that had been laid out. And it's
God making the covenant. It's God cutting the covenant. The covenant is altogether God's
covenant. It's one-sided. And look at the
language then that we have later in Jeremiah 31. Verse 33, This shall be the covenant
that I will make with the house of Israel. After those days,
saith the LORD, I will put my law in their inward parts, and
write it in their hearts, and will be their God, and they shall
be my people. And they shall teach no more
every man his neighbor, and every man his brother, saying, Know
the LORD. For they shall all know me from the least of them
unto the greatest of them, saith the LORD. For I will forgive
their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more. It's all God's work, is it not? It's what God does. It's God who makes the covenant.
And what God does is this, I will put my law in their inward parts.
I will write it in their hearts. I will be their God. They shall
be my people. I will forgive their iniquities,
he says. I will remember their sin no
more. This is altogether God's covenant. And that's what we have here
in the text. Neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed,
saith the Lord, that hath mercy on them. It's a covenant of God's
peace. and in whom does that covenant
center? It centers all together in the
Lord Jesus Christ. Again, in another of the prophets,
in Micah. Micah 5.5, we're told, this man
shall be the peace. Who is the man? This man that
is the peace. Well, it's that one that Isaiah
speaks of previously, in chapter 9. Unto us a child is born, unto
us a son is given. The government shall be upon
his shoulder. His name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor
of the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace. The Prince of Peace. This is
the man who's the peace. It's the Lord Jesus Christ. And
how has he made peace? Through the blood of his cross.
Why, he is the propitiation for our sins, says John. Here in
his love, not that we love God, but that he loved us and sent
his son to be the propitiation for our sins. And what is propitiation? It's peace with God. It's a satisfying
of God's wrath. Oh God, you see, is no more wrath
with his people. So have I sworn that I would
not be wrath with thee, you see. because the Lord Jesus is that
one who has borne the punishment for his people in the outworking
of this covenant of God's peace. The language here is altogether
the language of covenant. Well, we have to thank God for
that covenant and all that is included, all the fullness, all
the richness of that salvation which is in Christ. Think of
the promises. We have the promises of the covenant.
What does God say at the end of verse 10? He says, Neither shall the covenant of my peace
be removed. And previous to that, the promise
is, My kindness shall not depart from thee. It is a negative language,
we recognise that. But what promises these are? His covenants can never be removed. His kindness, all His loving
kindness, His tender mercy, His sovereign grace. These things
can never depart. They are forever and ever and
ever and ever. This is a promise of God. This
is the language of promises. What does God say at the end
of Ezekiel 16? I will establish my covenant
with thee and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. That's always the language of
God's covenant. I will, thou shalt. I will, thou shalt. That's how God speaks in the
Covenant. I will establish my Covenant. Thou shalt know that
I am the Lord. All the promises of God and all
those promises of God in the Lord Jesus Christ, they're all
yay and they're all amen. No yay and nay here. God says
yay and then it's an amen, so be it. why the Lord Jesus Christ
himself is the army the faithful and true witness of the covenant
we have the promise of the covenant and as I've already intimated
we have the oath we have the oath of the covenant so have
I sworn God says as I have sworn that's covenant
when God made promise to Abraham Because He could swear by no
greater, He swore by Himself, saying, Blessing I will bless
them. All God has sworn by Himself. He has committed Himself and
all that He is to the accomplishment of His word of promise. He has
magnified that word above all His name. if God's word is broken
God is no more that's what it means which is an impossibility
this is the stability of the covenant and this is the great
thing that stands out in this text for this is as the waters
of Noah unto me for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah
should no more go over the earth so have I sworn that I would
not be wroth with thee nor rebuke them. You see when we read such
portions as that we read earlier in chapters 8 and 9 of Genesis
there's so much comfort there in the historical part of God's
Word when we're able to understand and to interpret God's Word from
what we find in other portions. Well let us come to what I said
I'd finish with and that is the comparison that we have here,
the simile that is being spoken of for this is as the waters
of Noah answer me for as I have sworn that the waters of Noah
should no more go over the earth so have I sworn It's reminding us that what we
have there, back in Genesis, is a simile. Now, what do we
have? There are a number of things that we need to observe concerning
that history. First of all, there's the flood
itself. The waters of Noah. The waters
of Noah, mentioned twice, here in verse 9. But what are we to
understand by the waters of Noah? We're not to think so much of
the awful deluge that came upon the earth when God visited his
judgment upon a wicked world. We're to think more particularly
of God's dealings with Noah and the covenant that God was making
with Noah. Now turn back to Genesis. And look at the language that
we have there in chapter 6 at verse 17. God says, Behold, I, even I,
do bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh
wherein is the breath of life from under heaven and everything
that is in the earth shall die. But with thee will I establish
my covenant, and thou shalt come into the ark, thou and thy sons
and thy wife and thy sons' wives with thee." Oh, observe the language,
observe the opening word here in verse 18. But with thee will
I establish my covenant. God is going to visit judgment
upon a wicked world. Everything that is in the earth
shall die, he says. But, with all God's purpose so
particular, it centers simply upon this man. And why so? Well, we're told. We're told
previously why it was. Verse 8, But never found grace
in the eyes of the Lord. And look at the context there,
Genesis 6-7, the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created
from the face of the earth, both man and beast, and the creeping
thing, and the fowls of the air, for it repenteth me that I have
made them. But Noah, who again, the but,
these little words, but Noah, found grace in the eyes of the
Lord. And again, as we saw it there
later in verse 18, "...but with thee will I establish my covenant."
The waters of Noah were to think more particularly in terms of
the covenant. And we had it there of course
in our reading In chapter 9 and verse 9, I, behold I, establish
my covenant with you and with your seed after you, says God
to Noah. The seed. The godly seed. The godly seed. Noah, you see,
a preacher of righteousness. That's what Peter says, he was
a preacher of righteousness. What righteousness? The righteousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ. And all those who are the seed
of Noah, they are those who are justified in the righteousness
of the Lord Jesus Christ. But thinking of these comparisons
that we can draw with that history that we have previously in Genesis,
there we also read of days and seasons. while the earth remaineth,
seed time and harvest, cold and heat, summer and winter, day
and night, shall not cease." God speaks of these things. What
does it remind us of? It reminds us very much of God's
faithfulness. It's God's faithfulness. It's
God's faithfulness every time we come to the dawning of a new
day. Every time our lives pass through the various seasons of
the year, it's all evidence of God's faithfulness. Do we think
on these things? It is of the Lord's mercies that
we're not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are
new every morning. Every morning there's a reminder
you see, new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness. And
again that's the language of Lamentations 3. We have constant
reminders if our eyes are only open, if we're walking by faith,
the Lord is constantly reminding us of the God that He is, the
good God that He is. He's a faithful God. I have sworn,
He says, that the waters of Noah should
no more go over the earth. So have I sworn that I would
not be wroth with thee nor rebukes them but the days and the seasons
they all speak to us and then of course making the comparison
we have the rainbow oh the rainbow and we read of
it there in genesis 9 12 and the following verses and the
that lovely hymn of hearts that we sang just now 791. And oh, it's a wonderful sign, isn't
it? The sign of the rainbow. And men might explain it in terms
of physics, and there is an explanation, of course, there's a reason,
but it's all God's doing. But what is it to the Christian?
What is it to the Christian? Well, we sang the words There
in 791, this bow that beams with vivid lights presents a sign
to Christian sight that God has sworn. Who dares condemn? He will no more be wroth with
them. Thus the believer, when he views
a rainbow in its various hues, may say, those lovely colours
shine to show that heaven is surely mine. oh is that what
we see when we look at the rainbow and you know in heaven there
is a rainbow we're told around the throne of God there in Revelation
chapter 4 what does John say he speaks about immediately I
was in the spirit and behold in heaven a throne and one sat
upon the throne and about the throne there was a rainbow Oh, it's God. It's the promise
of God. It's all that God is, that the
rainbow reminds us of. And then, making these comparisons,
the floods, the reference of the days, the seasons, the rainbow,
and then also the mountains, the mountains. Oh, remember when
that flood came it wasn't just that
God opened the windows of heaven the fountains of the great deep
were broken up there were terrible convulsions throughout all of
creation everything turned upside down and the mountains covered
and what does God say here the mountains shall depart and the
hills be removed but my kindness shall not depart from thee Neither
shall the covenant of my peace be removed, hath the Lord, that
hath mercy on thee." Or we sang as our opening praise
the metrical version, Isaac Watts' metrical version of the 46th
Psalm. And remember those words that
the poet is setting to meter. The words that we have in the
psalm, God is our refuge and strength, a very present help
in trouble, therefore will not we fear, though the earth be
removed, and though the mountains be carried into the midst of
the sea, though the waters thereof roar and be troubled, though
the mountains shake with the swelling thereof, see now, there
is a river, the streams whereof shall make glad the city of God,
the holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High." And I like
the way in which Watts is paraphrasing, of course. It's a paraphrase
of the psalm, really. But he interprets what that river
is. That river, he says, is the Word of God. Oh, it's his blessed
book that God has given us, the book in which he reveals himself
to us. And it all, of course, ultimately speaks to us of the
Lord Jesus Christ. Search the Scriptures, he says
to the Jews. In them you think that you have
eternal life, but these are they that testify of me. And who is
the Lord Jesus Christ? Why, He is the Rock. His work
is perfect. And this covenant that's being
spoken of, it's not only God's promise, it's not only God's
oath swearing by himself it's a covenant that has been sealed
and sealed with precious blood the testator himself has died
Christ the blessed mediator of the covenant he is the one that
we are to look to or that one that Noah preached as a preacher
of righteousness oh God grant then that we might be those today
who desire only to behold Christ and all that fullness of a covenant
in salvation that we find in Him. The text says, This is as
the waters of Noah unto me, for as I have sworn that the waters
of Noah should no more go over the earth, so have I sworn that
I would not be wroth with thee, nor rebuke thee. For the mountain
shall depart, and the hills be removed, but my kindness shall
not depart from thee, neither shall the covenant of my peace
be removed, saith the Lord, that hath mercy on thee. Amen.