Let us turn again to God's Word
in the portion of Scripture that we read, Isaiah chapter 61. I'll read again the first three
verses of the chapter, Isaiah 61, and reading verses 1 to 3. The Spirit of the Lord God is
upon me, because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings
unto the meek. He hath sent me to bind up the
brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and the opening
of the prison to them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable
year of the Lord and the day of judgment of our God, to comfort
all that mourn, to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give
unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the
garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might
be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that
he might be glorified." We know that these words were
fulfilled ultimately in the Lord Jesus Christ because we read
in Luke chapter 4 a vow after his baptizing and his temptations
in the wilderness Christ returns in the power of the Spirit to
Nazareth, the place where he had been brought up and as was
his custom he went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day And there
the minister in the synagogue gave to him this book of the
prophet Isaiah. And the Lord turned to the words
that we've just read, here at the beginning of chapter 61,
and having read this portion, he then said, this day is the
scripture fulfilled in your ears. These words then are prophetic,
and they are prophetic of the ministry of the Lord Jesus, prophetic
of the ministry of the gospel. And Christ is that one in whom
the gospel has come, that one who is the greatest of all gospel
ministers. And in what the Prophet is saying,
we discover something of God's purpose in that ministry of the
Gospel. Here at the end of verse 3, that
they might be called. trees of righteousness, the planting
of the Lord that he might be glorified, that is those who
are truly receiving this gospel, believing that message that is
being proclaimed in the preaching. God's purpose is that there might
be those who are saved and those who are established in Zion,
and we see how that the work in the church is very much the
work of God. There again, at the end of the
previous chapter, Thy people also shall be all
righteous, they shall inherit the land forever, the branch
of my planting, says God, the work of my hands, that I may
be glorified. Only God can affect that great
work of true conversion in the soul of the sinner. There is
to be that ministry, that preaching of the words, the proclamation
of the gospel, but the consequence, the outcome, is very much in
the hands of God. As the Lord Jesus Himself says
in the course of His own ministry, every branch which my Heavenly
Father hath not planted shall be rooted up. Oh, it is God who
must plant us and establish us in Zion, do His work in our souls,
if any man be in Christ, says Paul, He is a new creature, a
new creation. It is a great work that God does
then by the Gospel in the salvation of sinners. And here in the verses
that we've read, this passage, at the beginning of this 61st
chapter, we see quite clearly how God does His work in Zion,
His work in the Church. God works through preaching. Here in the middle of verse 1
we read, to preach good tidings. And then again, in verse 2, to
proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, there is to be this
proclamation, this preaching then. And what is this word of
the Gospel? What is the great subject matter
of the ministry of the Gospel? Well, I want us this morning
to consider some four points with regards to what this ministry
of the gospel is. First of all, we have to remember
that it is a prophetic word that we're dealing with. Now, in the
immediate context, in the historical setting of the verse, we see
that Isaiah was one called to proclaim liberty to those who
would be captives in Babylon. Now his ministry is taking place
about 100 years previous to the Babylonian captivity. That was
something that was to come in due time. It was that punishment
that God would visit upon the Jews because of their sins, because
in particular of their idolatry. They would be taken away, they
would be removed into exile, and there they would languish
for some 70 years. But though Isaiah makes mention
of the captivity, he speaks often of the restoration, the return
of that remnant that God was going to preserve during the
exile. and see how he speaks at the
beginning of the chapter the spirit of the Lord God he says
is upon me because he hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto
the meek he hath sent me to bind up the broken hearted to proclaim
liberty to the captives liberty to the captives the opening of
the prison to them that are bound And they are to come again to
Jerusalem, he says at verse 4, they shall build the old wastes,
they shall raise up the former desolations, and they shall repair
the waste cities, the desolations of many generations, so it goes
on. We read through into that 62nd
chapter, verse 4, they shall no more be termed forsaken, neither
shall thy land any more be termed desolate, that thou shalt be
called Ephseba, which means my delight is in her, thy land Beulah,
that means married, for the Lord delighteth in thee, and thy land
shall be married. speaks prophetically then of
that that will come to pass, that terrible judgment from God
because of sin, but also he speaks of the restoration. And this
is what he was told at the time when he was called to this office
of being the Lord's servant, the Lord's prophet, one who was
to proclaim to the nation the word of God. There in chapter
6 we have the record of his call And at the end of the chapter,
he speaks to God, then said, I, Lord, how long? And the iron
said, until the cities be wasted without inhabitant, and the houses
without man, and the land be utterly desolate, and the Lord
hath removed men far away, and there be a great forsaking in
the midst of the land. That's the captivity. But then,
Yet in it shall be a tent, and it shall return." All there was
to be, a restoration. In the immediate context then,
we're to think in terms of the ministry of Isaiah the prophet
himself. Those that he is speaking to.
He'll speak of God's terrible judgment, but he also speaks
words of comfort and encouragement. there will be a restoring again
but as I said ultimately we know that this portion of scripture
speaks more specifically of one who is far greater than Isaiah
it's a prophecy of the Lord Jesus Christ and we see that as I said
in Luke chapter 4 at verse 16 following there in the synagogue
in Nazareth when at the beginning of his own ministry Christ reads
this passage of Scripture and then says, this day is this Scripture
fulfilled in your ears. Oh, here's that one you've spoken
of here in verse 1. What does the Prophet say? As
it were, the mouth of the Lord Jesus, the Lord hath anointed
me to preach, he says. He hath sent me to bind up the
broken-hearted. That's the Lord Jesus Christ.
He is that One who is the Anointed. Why? His very name, Christ, Messiah,
means the Anointed One. And He is that One who was clearly
sent from God. As we see there at the end of
John chapter 3, He whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God. For God giveth not the Spirit
by measure unto him. What a glorious outpouring and
effusion of the Spirit came upon the Lord Jesus even at his baptism
as he comes up out of the waters of baptism the heavens open and
the Spirit descended upon him in the form of a dove. He is
that one who is anointed and sent. He is that one then who
speaks the words of God. Remember what was said at the
time of his transfiguration there in the mount as we have it recorded
in Matthew chapter 17. God says, this is my beloved
son in whom I am well pleased. Hear ye him. Oh this is that
one you are to hear. This is that one who speaks my
words. He has been sent to preach, to
proclaim the good news of salvation. And Christ says concerning his
teaching, my doctrine is not mine, but he is that sent man. Here is his authority, he is
sent from God. And now it was so evident to
the people. The common people were hearing him so gladly. We
have the record of his sermons, we have the Sermon on the Mount,
and what do we have there at the end of that sermon in Matthew
chapter 7, when Jesus had ended these sayings, we're told the
people were astonished, for he spoke as one that had authority,
so different to the scribes and the pharisees. He spoke with
authority, the Spirit of God was upon him, even when the leaders
of the Jews sent the officers to arrest him, they could not
do anything against him of course, because his hour was not come,
and they returned and they tell those leaders, never man spoke
like this man. This whole passage there is speaking
to us of the Lord Jesus, it's a prophetic word, yes it has
some reference to the ministry of the Prophet Isaiah but greater
than that it is speaking of the Lord Jesus and what we have here
is not only a prophetic word but in the second place we have
to recognize that this is a powerful and an authoritative word that
is the word of God in the Gospel God's word as He comes to us
in the Gospel is powerful. It has authority. It's a weighty
word. You see, as the Lord Jesus Christ
was commissioned as that great preacher, so He, in turn, has
also commissioned those who are to preach the Gospel. And we
read through into that 62nd chapter because we have those significant
words there at verse 6 concerning the watchmen. upon the walls,
there to sound an alarm. God says, I have set watchmen
upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their
peace, day nor night. Ye that make mention of the Lord
keep not silence. Oh, there are these who are called
to make mention of Him, to proclaim His words. give him no rest till
he establish until he make Jerusalem a prize in the earth. We know
how the Lord Jesus in the course of his own ministry day made
choice of those who were to be his apostles and he sends them
out and he gives them authority to exercise their ministry. For example in Mark chapter 3 And verse 13, we're told, he
goeth up into a mountain and calleth unto him whom he would. There we see his authority. There we see his sovereignty.
He goes into the mountain and he calls whom he would and they
came unto him. And he ordained twelve, it says,
that they should be with him and that he might send them forth
to preach. And then we have the name of
the twelve apostles. It is the Lord who calls them.
It is the Lord who gives them authority. It is the Lord who
sends them forth to preach. And so when we come to the end
of his earthly ministry, after his death, after his resurrection
from the dead, Remember how for 40 days he shows himself to these
apostles and to his disciples. He gives them these infallible
proofs of the reality of his resurrection from the dead. And
there at the end of Matthew's Gospel he says, all power, the
word literally is authority, all authority is given unto me
in heaven and in earth. Go ye therefore and teach all
nations baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the
Son, and of the Holy Ghost, teaching them to observe all things whatsoever
I have commanded you, and now I am with you always, even unto
the end of the world." Oh, there is an authority that is vested
in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. He was sent. He was the
Anointed One, and He sends forth men. When Paul speaks of his
own ministry to the Ephesian elders in Acts chapter 20, he
says, he speaks of the ministry which I have received of the
Lord Jesus to testify the gospel of the grace of God. What he
spoke he had not received it from men as he says to the Galatians,
He had received it from God, he had received it of the Lord
Jesus Christ himself. He was to speak, he was to proclaim
that message. All the authority. And the authority
is not only in the Lord's appointment, but the authority is also in
the preaching. In the very subject matter of
the preaching, in the very act of the preaching. And we see
that. There are various portions in
which we discover the importance of that preaching of the Word
of God. Romans chapter 10 is one such
portion, and there, in verse 14, We read these words,
How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?
And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?
And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they
preach except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful
are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring
their tidings of good things. But they have not all obeyed
the gospel, for as I assessed Lord, who hath believed, I report. So then faith cometh by hearing,
and hearing by the word of God. See how Paul is speaking here
of preaching and the office of the preaching of the word. It
is that faith might come to sinners. But that's a very striking verse,
that 14th verse of Romans chapter 10. He asks these questions,
how then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in
Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without
a preacher? Now, the middle clause of that
verse, how shall they believe in Him, it says, of whom? they have not believed. Now,
strictly speaking, the word of is quite superfluous. It can be omitted. It might be
argued that it should be omitted, because literally it is saying,
oh, shall they believe in him whom they have not heard? It's
one thing to hear of Christ, It's quite another thing to hear
Christ. And this is the authority of
the ministry of the Word. It's not so much that we hear
of the Lord Jesus Christ, but as we come together we should
desire to be those who are hearing him, that he might speak through
the office of the ministry. It's his own appointment. And
there Paul goes on, Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the
Word of God. It is God's Word. And it is God's
voice that we should desire to hear in the ministry of that
world. Remember what Paul says on another
occasion to the Ephesians. Ephesus there in what was called
Asia Minor, Turkey we would call it today. The Lord Jesus was
never in those parts. He was sent to the lost sheep
of the house of Israel. His ministry was very much confined
to that area then known as Palestine. And yet Paul says to those Ephesians,
you have not so learned Christ if so be you have heard him and
been taught by him as the truth is in Jesus. How did they hear
Christ? How were they taught by Christ?
It was through the preaching. That's the authority of the Word
of God. the Lord says in his own ministry, verily, verily
I say unto you the hour is coming and now is when the dead shall
hear the voice of the Son of God and they that hear shall
live or when those dead in trespasses and sins under the ministry of
the Word of God when they hear the voice of the Lord Jesus there
is a communication of life life comes into the soul of the sinner
Well, this is the primacy of preaching, and this is why we
make so much of the ministry of the Word of God, because we
see it so plainly revealed to us here in Holy Scripture. We
don't advocate discussion groups, and house meetings, and conversational
Bible studies, no. It was one of the Protestant
reformers and martyrs, Bishop Latimer, who says of preaching,
this is the ordinary office that God has ordained to save us by. Let us maintain this. This is the ordinary office.
God is sovereign. God might convert the sinner
sometimes without him ever sitting under the preaching of the Word.
He might come to a man even as he reads a scripture for himself,
but what the Protestant Reformer is saying is the ordinary office
that God has appointed is the ministry of the words. Paul says
he pleased God by the foolishness of preaching, to save them that
believe. The foolishness of preaching,
that is in part we can say it's the act of preaching but it's
principally the content of the message that is being proclaimed
this gospel what is the attitude of the world? the world will
dismiss it as foolishness this gospel of the grace of God the
world has no time for it and yet this is what God is pleased to make use of in the salvation
of sinners. And so the Lord says here in
our text, the Spirit of the Lord God is upon me because he has
anointed me to preach good tidings, to proclaim the acceptable year
of the Lord. All this preaching, this proclamation
of this blessed message. Remember What we see concerning
the apostolic ministry, when we come into the Acts of the
Apostles, it seems that in the early days of the Christian Church,
the sole functionaries, the ones who did everything, were the
Apostles. And then when we come to Acts chapter 6, there's some
disagreement, some disputing between those early Christian
converts concerning the matter of the distribution of money
to the widows. And so in Acts 6 we see how the
apostles decide that there needs to be the office of the deacon
to deal with these matters. And those men who were called
to preach, the Lord had chosen them that they might go forth
and preach, what do they say? We will give ourselves continually
to prayer and the preaching of the Word. prayer and the preaching
of the word. And these two come together.
Those who preach must also know what it is to pray because only
the Lord is able to clothe his word with authority. It isn't
an authoritative word because something is vested in the man
who stands in the pulpit. All that man's authority is not
in himself but in the word of God that he is handling. And
if he's going to rightly divide that word he will need to know
that ministry of the Holy Spirit It's prayer and preaching. And
it's in that order. It's prayer first. We will give
ourselves, say those apostles, to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.
And do we not see it here in that 62nd chapter? Verse 6, we quoted the words
just now, I have set watchmen upon thy walls, O Jerusalem,
O the minister of the word is a watchman set on the walls of
Jerusalem, as I am being the church of God, I have set watchmen
upon my walls O Jerusalem, which shall never hold their peace
day nor night. Ye that make mention of the Lord's
keep not silence. What are the preachers to do?
They are to make mention of the Lord's. They are to preach Christ
and Christ crucified. But look at the margin. There's
an alternative reading. Ye that are the Lord's remembrances,
keep not silence. And then verse 7, give him no
rest till he establish, until he make Jerusalem a praise in
the earth. You see the verse is an interesting
verse because is it really just speaking of these watchmen who
make mention of the Lord, they speak of the Lord as they proclaim
their message, as they sound their alarm, they speak of the
Lord. But not only that, they're also the Lord's remembrances.
And that's to give Him no rest, that's to plead with Him. To
plead with Him concerning the ministry of the Word that the
Lord will own His Word and bless His Word. and that that word
might come with a gracious authority to sinners, that there might
be those fruits, those signs following the ministry of the
word, that there might be good done in the souls of those who
are hearing that blessed message of the gospel. And we see it
here in the text. Oh, it's not just a prophetic
word that we have, nor is it a powerful and authoritative
word alone. We see here it is such a suitable
word. It is such a suitable word to
sinners. The wise man says, a word fitly
spoken is like apples of gold in pictures of silver. A word
fitly spoken. And what do we see here concerning
these words that come by the anointing of the Spirit The Lord
hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek." Always
good tidings unto the meek. Now what does this word meek
mean? Well the particular word that's used has the meaning of
those who are bowed down, afflicted, lonely, humble. That's meekness. It's not weakness, we're not
to confuse it with weakness. The meek are those who are burdened,
they're bowed down. They're an afflicted people.
They're such a lowly people. Now it's interesting in the quotation
where Christ himself makes reference to these words in that fourth
chapter of Luke, there at verse 18, in our authorized version,
it doesn't say the meek but it says the Lord hath anointed me
to preach good tidings unto the poor oh it's the same really
it's the poor who have the gospel preached unto thee remember in
Matthew 11 when John is languishing John the Baptist is languishing
in the prison and the Baptist he sends his disciples to Christ
seems that he is fearful and doubtful concerning Jesus of
Nazareth, and he wants to be assured that this is the true
Messiah of God. And he sends his disciples to
ask of Jesus, is He truly that One that was promised? And how
does the Lord answer? Well, ultimately, He directs
them to the fact that the poor have the Gospel preached unto
them. But look at what it actually
says. So similar really to the words that we have here in our
text this morning. It's there in Matthew. In Matthew
chapter 11. I'll just turn to the actual passage
of Scripture. Matthew chapter 11. Verse 4, Jesus answers and says
unto them, Go and show John again those things which ye do hear
and see. The blind receive their sight,
and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear,
and the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel preached
to them. Blessed is he whosoever shall
not be offended in me. who here is the Mark you see the poor have the gospel preached
unto them this is the mark of the true Christ of God this is
the ones that the gospel is suited to the gospel is a ministry to
these people blessed are the poor in spirit says Christ for
theirs is the kingdom of heaven, the poor in spirit. Blessed are
the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. The Lord hath anointed
me to preach these good tidings to these very characters, these
who are so sorely tried, bowed down, afflicted, so humble, they
can do nothing of themselves, nothing for themselves. But then
see how he goes on, he hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted. All are broken-hearted. Now,
that is not man's natural condition. Man, by nature, doesn't have
a broken heart. The sons and daughters of Adam
and Eve are a proud people, because pride is bound up with the Four
of our first parents bound up with their unbelief. What does
the serpent say to Eve? Ye shall be as gods. And that's
what man wants to be. Such a proud, arrogant creature
is man. Sets himself against God, denies
God. He is not by nature one who is
broken hearted. Remember how in Job, I think
it's the words of Elijah there at the end of Job, and he speaks
of Lothiathan. And what do we read concerning
Lothiathan? In Job chapter 41. It's not Elihu here, it's the
Lord actually who is speaking in these chapters 40 and 41.
It's the Lord himself who speaks. The Lord answered Job, it says,
at the beginning of chapter 40. But in chapter 41 and verse 24
it says this, His heart is as firm as a stone, yea, as hard
as a piece of the nether millstone. It's a description of Lothiathan. And Lothiathan, well, there's
some debating as to just what Lothiathan was. Maybe it was
a dinosaur. It says in the margin here, a
whale. We don't know exactly what it
was, but it was certainly a great creature, a strong creature. But it speaks of his heart, firm
as a stone, hard as a piece of the nether millstone. But isn't
that the heart of the sinner by nature? Man's heart, deceitful above
all things, desperately wicked. And how that hard heart has to
be broken. And God does break the hard heart.
He says, He's not my word like as a fire, and like as a hammer
that breaketh the rock to pieces, that rock which is man's heart.
This is why there must be that ministry of the law of God, hand
in hand with the ministry of the gospel of God. It must be
that work of conviction. And that's the work of the Spirit
when He has come, says Christ, He will reprove, He will convince
the world of sin and of righteousness and of judgment. Though the sinner
must be broken, he must be brought to the end of himself. He must
be brought to see that the only sacrifice that is pleasing to
God is that of a broken spirit. As David was brought to acknowledge
in his great penitential psalm 51 the sacrifices of God, he says,
are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart, O God,
thou wilt not despise. And the Lord is the one who comes,
you see, to that broken-hearted sinner. This is the ministry
of the Gospel. Broken hearts have to be bound
up. He has sent me to bind up the
broken-hearted. Oh, it's such a suitable word,
the gospel word, to those who are truly sinners, those who
are so bowed down and afflicted, those who are meek and poor in
spirit, those who are broken-hearted. But then he goes on to proclaim
liberty to the captives, the opening of the prison to them
that are bound. And it's not just those taken
away into the exile, those in captivity in Babylon. Yes, there is that reference
in the historical context, but as I've said all along, this
word ultimately has to do with the ministry of Christ. It is
Christ who proclaims liberty to the captive. And when God
comes to us and teaches us the truth concerning ourselves and
our condition as sinners, does he not make us feel that? We're
captive to what we are by nature. We're dead in trespasses and
in sins. And we cannot deliver ourselves
or we're in that dreadful prison house of sin. Heman says in Psalm
88 I am shut up I cannot come forth that's where we are shut
up and what Heman says remember Job also says something very
similar there in his book in Job chapter 12 speaking of God he says at the
end of verse 14 he shut up a man And there can be no hope. For
when the Lord shuts us up to what we are, when he shuts us
up, you see, to our sin, to the impossibility of faith, the reality
of our native unbelief, we're unbelievers. Before faith came,
Paul says, we were kept under the law, shut up to the faith,
which would afterward be revealed. All the Lord has to give us that
faith, that saving faith. If the Son therefore shall make
you free, ye shall be free indeed. It is Christ who comes to proclaim
liberty to the captives and the opening of the prison to them
that are bound. He's the only one who can release us from ourselves,
from the grip of sin. from the bondage of Satan. These
are such suitable words in the Gospel. They well suit poor sinners
who can do nothing for themselves. And then he goes on to comfort at the end of verse 2 to comfort
all that mourn to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion to give
unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the
garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness. Oh, blessed are
they that mourn, for they shall be comforted. There's comfort
for mourners, spiritual mourners. Oh, are we those, friends, who
mourn over our sins, mourn over our backslidings, we are made to feel these things
if we know anything of the Lord's own ministry in our souls the
Lord coming and working in our hearts this is the ministry of
the gospel then that Isaiah is speaking of this word of God
in the gospel yes it's prophetic, it's a prophetic word it's a
powerful and authoritative word it's a suitable word, it suits
sinners well The Lord Jesus Himself said He came not to call the
righteous but sinners to repentance. And then finally this morning,
what we have here is a saving and a justifying word. Look at
what it says here in verse 3. To give unto them beauty for
ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise, for the
spirit of heaviness. Beautiful ashes. What a wonderful
statement. What is this beauty? Beautiful
ashes it says. The oil of joy for mourning.
The garment of pride for the spirit of heaviness. Well, this
beauty is not something of their own. It's that that comes from
the Lord. It's what the Lord gives to them. It's what the Lord Himself grants
as His precious gift. Nothing at all of themselves,
but all that comes from God. the end of the chapter we see
it again he says at verse 10 I will greatly rejoice in the
Lord my soul shall be joyful in my God for he hath clothed
me with the garments of salvation he hath covered me with the robe
of righteousness as a bridegroom decketh himself with ornaments
and a bride adorneth herself with her jewels it's what the
Lord gives you see It's that beauty of the Lord that he puts
upon these who of themselves are such filthy sinners. When
David comes to the end of his life, this is what he rejoices
in. You read through Psalm 71. There
we see David and we see him very much as an old man. grey-headed look at what he says there Psalm
71 verse 9 cast me not off in time of old age forsake me not
where my strength faileth verse 17 O God thou hast taught me
from my youth and hitherto have I declared thy wondrous works
now also when I am old and grey-headed O God forsake me not until I
have showed thy strength unto this generation and thy power
to every one that is to come. And what is it that David rejoices
in as he comes to the end of his days? When he says at verse
16, I will make mention of thy righteousness, even of thine
own. He has nothing of himself. All
his beauty is only from the Lord. And what was true in David was
also true in the Apostle Paul. What was Paul's great desire?
He had once been such a self-righteous man, a pharisee, boasting of
his obedience, touching the righteousness which is in the Lord. He thought
himself to be blameless as a pharisee. But now all that was taken away. His one desire as he expresses
it in Philippians 3, 9, to be found in Him, he says, that is
in Christ. To be found in Him, not having
mine own righteousness which is of the law, but that which
is through the faith of Christ. The righteousness which is of
God by faith. Oh, this is that beauty, you
see, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for
mourning, the garment of praise. for the spirits of heaviness. It's the Lord's righteousness
imputed to the sinner. That that clothes the sinner,
that's the righteousness that is his justification before God. Think of the language of Jeremiah,
the familiar words there in 23 and verse 6, this is his name
whereby he shall be called the Lord, our righteousness. That's
his name. And then just a few chapters
later, chapter 33 and verse 16, this is the name wherewith she
shall be called, that is the church, the name wherewith she
shall be called, the Lord our righteousness. Oh, it's His righteousness
that becomes her righteousness. Their beauty this, their glorious
dress, Jesus the Lord. our righteousness. And this is
what the gospel is. This is the good news. There's
salvation for sinners. There's righteousness. The righteousness
of Christ imputed to their account. And so what are they? As we have
it at the end of verse 3, the great purpose of God, that they
might be called trees of righteousness. The planting of the Lord. that
He might be glorified. O God, grant that we might have
part and lot in this Gospel. The Lord bless His word to us. Amen.