Turn with me to Isaiah 63 again. We were here in Isaiah 63 last
Wednesday night, and we really looked at the first six verses,
that really was our text, and we just ended by reading verse
seven, And tonight I want to look at verses seven, eight,
and nine because they are the complete thought of verse seven. I've titled this message His
Loving Kindness. His Loving Kindness. Verse seven
says, I will mention the loving kindness of the Lord and the
praises of the Lord according to all that the Lord hath bestowed
on us, and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which
he hath bestowed on them, according to his mercies, and according
to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses. For he saith, Surely they are
my people, children that will not lie. So he was their savior. In all their affliction, he was
afflicted. And the angel of his presence
saved them. In his love and in his pity,
he redeemed them. And he bare them and carried
them all the days of old. That was his loving kindness.
That was his loving kindness to them. And you know. Soon as I say this, you're going
to agree. His loving kindness is so amazing. Is truly so amazing and the reason
is because verse 10 says. But they rebelled. Isn't that
amazing that that's that's the next three words after all that
isn't that amazing? Being sinful flesh, we perfectly
understand that, don't we? We don't condone it. We wish
it wasn't so, but we always do. We always do. God's people always do. But they
rebelled. Look at how the whole book of
Isaiah begins. This book is truly wonderful.
And look at how the whole book begins. Turn with me to Isaiah
1. Isaiah chapter 1, verse 1 says
this is the vision of Isaiah. Verse 2 says, hear, O heavens,
and give ear, O earth, for the Lord hath spoken. I have nourished
and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.
That's how the whole thing starts. That's amazing, isn't it? Verse
three, he said, the ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's
crib, but Israel doth not know. My people doth not consider.
Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers,
children that are corruptors. They have forsaken the Lord.
They have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger. They are
gone away backward. Who, his enemies? Well, by nature,
that's what they are, but that's his people. That's talking about
his people. Verse five, why should you be
stricken anymore? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick and the
whole heart faint from the sole of the foot, even unto the head. There is no soundness in it. but wounds and bruises and putrefying
sores. They have not been closed, neither
bound up, neither mollified with ointment. Your country is desolate. Your cities are burned with fire. Your land, strangers devour it
in your presence. And it is desolate as overthrown
by strangers. And the daughter of Zion is left
as a cottage and a vineyard and as a lodge and a garden of cucumbers
as a besieged city. Verse nine says, except the Lord
of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant. We should have
been as Sodom and we should have been like unto Gomorrah. Isn't
that so true? If it were not for His loving
kindness, you want to get down to the heart of the whole thing.
What is our hope? His loving kindness. If it were
not for His loving kindness on a group of sinners, a group of
sinful rebels against Him that He chose to save, there would
be no hope for any of us. There'd be no hope for any of
us. If it were not for his loving kindness, there would be no salvation
for any of us. Go back to Isaiah 63. That's
what he's saying right here. Verse seven, he said, I will
mention the loving kindness of the Lord and the praises of the
Lord according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us. and
the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath
bestowed on them according to his mercies. That's how he bestowed
it on them. That's why he bestowed it on
them. It was all according to his mercies and according to
the multitude of his loving kindnesses. For he said, surely they are
my people. children that will not lie. What he's saying is, I'm going
to deliver them from lies. I'm going to do something for
them. I'm not going to leave them in their sin. Verse eight
goes on to say, so he was their savior. He was their savior. And in verse nine, he talks of,
talks about how he was their savior, how he was the savior
of his people. Verse nine, these were his loving
kindnesses to his people. There are five things listed
right here, and we're just going to go through each one of them,
okay? These are his loving kindnesses. This is what he did. Number one,
verse nine says, In all their affliction, he was afflicted. That's a good one. This is what he did to save,
all right? This is what his loving kindness
caused him to do. In all their affliction, everything
that they were afflicted with, he made himself to be afflicted
with it. In all their affliction, he was
afflicted. What was the affliction of God's
people? What is the affliction of God's people? Sin. Is. You know, the Apostle Paul
said, this is a faithful saying, worthy of all acceptation. Christ
Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Count me in. Write my name at the top of the
list. I'm the chief. What is the affliction of God's
people? Sin. The infirmity and the affliction
and the judgment and the condemnation of sin. That's their infirmity. Turn over to Isaiah 53. You know, if if a sinner could
ever see this, then it takes the power of God to reveal this.
But if a sinner could ever see this, that sinner would see salvation.
That sinner would see grace. The sinner would see the gospel.
The sinner would see Christ. The sinner would see freedom
and relief. Verse four, Isaiah 53, verse
four, it says, Surely. He. hath borne our griefs and carried
our sorrows, yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God,
and afflicted. It was all on him. Verse seven,
he was oppressed and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth.
That's one of the most glorious things to me, he opened not his
mouth. I'm just so thankful, not as thankful as I want to
be, not as thankful as one day I'm going to be, but I'm so thankful
that he bore my sin and before the judgment of God opened not
his mouth. My sin was laid on him. Every
accusation that should have come to me came to him. And he did
not defend himself because he was made to be guilty. He was
made to bear the guilt of my sin. Verse 7 says, he was oppressed
and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth. He is brought
as a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep before her shearers
is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. He was taken from prison
and from judgment, and who shall declare his generation? For he
was cut off out of the land of the living. For the transgression
of my people was he stricken." In his loving kindness, he did
that for his people. That's what he did. Turn over
to Lamentations chapter 1. It's after Isaiah and Jeremiah. Lamentations chapter 1. And I know it says these are
the lamentations of Jeremiah, but this is Christ speaking. Lamentations 1 verse 12 says, Is it nothing to you all ye that
pass by? Behold and see if there be any
sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the
Lord hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger. He said,
the Lord laid this on me. The Lord laid on him the iniquity
of all of his elect people. Look at chapter 3, Lamentations
3, verse 1. Again, this is Christ speaking.
And he says, I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod
of his wrath. He hath led me and brought me
into darkness, but not into light. Surely against me is he turned. He turneth his hand against me
all the day. My flesh and my skin hath he
made old. He hath broken my bones. He hath
builded against me and compassed me with gall and travail. He hath set me in dark places
as they that be dead of old. He hath hedged me about that
I cannot get out. He hath made my chain heavy.
Also, when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer. He hath
enclosed my ways with hewn stone. He hath made my paths crooked. Our Lord was touched with the
feeling of our infirmities. all of our infirmities. Right
here in verse 19, Christ said, remembering mine affliction and
my misery, the wormwood and the gall. He said, my soul hath them
still in remembrance and is humbled in me. It's quieted in me. I just, I'm so thankful to know
that every time, you know, our Lord paid for all of our sin. He paid for all the sin that
we committed, commit, and will commit. And you're going to walk
out, before you walk out of this place, you're going to sit in
that pew and sin. And our Lord paid for that sin
on the cross of Calvary and God sees everything. And every time
he sees one of his own who he died for, He remembers his affliction
and his misery. He remembers the wormwood and
the gall. His soul has them still in remembrance. And he's humble. He's quieted. He was made sin who knew no sin
that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. He remembers that.
That was his loving kindness toward us. Verse 21 says, this
I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. It is of the Lord's
mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail
not. They are new every morning, great
is thy faithfulness. The Lord is my portion, saith
my soul, therefore will I hope in him. I'll hope in his loving kindness
that he's shown toward us in taking all of our affliction
upon himself, every bit of it. Go back to Isaiah 63. Verse seven says, I will mention
the loving kindness of the Lord and the praises of the Lord according
to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us. and the great goodness
toward the house of Israel, which he hath bestowed on them according
to his mercies and according to the multitude of his loving
kindnesses. For he said, surely they are
my people, children that will not lie. So he was their savior
and for his elect for his own. This is what he did. Number one
in all their affliction, he was afflicted. Number two, and the
angel of his presence saved them. The angel of his presence, his
presence, he was with them. He was with his people. You know,
he told Jacob, I will be with thee. A brother in my study just read
Isaiah 41, fear not thou worm, Jacob. I'll be with you. That's what he told Jacob, I
will be with thee. He told Moses, I will be with
thee. Moses said, Lord, if you don't
go with us, don't even send us. He said, Moses, I'll be with
you. Don't you want to hear that? He told Joshua, I'll be with
you. You lead the people in, I'll
be with you. He told a man named Gideon, I'll be with you. He told a man named David, I'll
be with you. He tells every single one of
his people, when you pass through the waters, I'll be with you.
I'm gonna be with you. I'll never leave you. I'll never
forsake you. Because of his loving kindness,
that's what he does for his people. His presence stays with them. Think about this, okay? Really
think about this. See if this is a comfort and
an encouragement to you. At any moment in time, You can
cry out to him and he will be there for you. He does not leave us. He does
not leave us. There are never moments where
he is gone from us. Never. There's never a time where
it said, well, you're just going to have to give him a minute.
He'll be right back. You ever really needed somebody?
Well, he's on the other line. He'll have to call you back. He stepped out for a minute.
He'll leave a message. He'll get back to you. That's
never going to happen. The Father joined us together
with Christ and what God does is forever. If he joined us together
with Christ, we're joined together with Christ forever. His presence
is with us. It was with us in the purpose
of God before the foundation of the world. His presence was
with us on the cross of Calvary when we had to suffer the judgment
of God for our sin. We suffered it with him, we suffered
it in him. His presence is still with us
right now and always will be. Verse nine says, in all their
affliction, he was afflicted. That's number one. Number two,
and the angel of his presence saved them. Number three, in
his love, And in his pity, he redeemed them. Redeemed means
paid the price. Redeemed means paid the price
in full. That's what it means. Redeemed
means having loved his own. He loved him to the end. He loved
us to the end. You want to talk about loving
kindness? He loved us to the end. He loved us all the way
to the end. Greater love had no man than
this. He laid down his life for us,
for his friends. In his love, in his everlasting
love, in his compassion, in his pity, he redeemed them. What did he redeem his people
with? His own blood. His own blood. Turn with me over
to Hebrews 9. Hebrews 9 verse 11. It says, but Christ being come
and high priest of good things to come, by a greater and more
perfect tabernacle, not made with hands, that is to say, not
of this building, neither by the blood of goats and calves,
but by his own blood, he entered in once into the holy place,
having obtained eternal redemption for us. Do you ever get tired
of hearing that? You know, some people believe
you can lose your salvation. Do you wish you believed that?
Some people believed if you, if you, you know, now Christ
saved you and he shed his blood to redeem you, but now you better
not mess up or you're gonna, you know, that is not true. When he one time went into the
Holy of Holies with his own blood, he obtained eternal redemption
for his people. Eternal means forever. No end. And is it not so relieving to
hear that? You're going to sin. You're going
to sin. If you come to me and say, oh,
I'm such a sinner, my response is going to be, I know. I am
too. And what comfort it is to hear
that by one sacrifice, look at Hebrews 10 verse 11, all through
that Old Testament, the law said, work, work, work, remit, remit,
remit. And verse 11 says, every priest
standeth daily ministering offering oftentimes the same sacrifices,
which can never take away sin. But this man, after he had offered
one sacrifice for sins forever sat down on the right hand of
God from henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his
footstool. Or by one offering, he has perfected
forever them that are sanctified. Whereup the Holy Ghost also is
a witness to us, for after that he had said before, this is the
covenant that I will make with them. After those days, saith
the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts and in their
minds will I write them, and their sins and iniquities will
I remember no more. Now where remission of these
is, there's no more offering for sin. If the healing is healed, There's
no more doctor needed. If the payment is fulfilled,
there's no more payment needed. Verse 19, having therefore brethren
boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by his
blood. We have the boldness and the
confidence to walk straight through the gates of heaven itself, right
up to the throne of God almighty. I honestly wouldn't do that at
the white house right now, but by the blood of Jesus Christ,
I can walk straight through the gates of glory right up to the
throne of God Almighty. Or anything that I need. Verse 19, having therefore brethren
boldness to enter into the holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new
and living way, which he hath consecrated. That means newly
made for us through the veil. That is to say his flesh, you
know, that veil, when he cried, it was finished and bowed his
head and gave up the ghost and that veil rent in twain. That
was symbolic of his flesh being rent in twain. Verse 21, and
having a high priest over the house of God, let us draw near
with a true heart, in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled
from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water. We have a high priest. We have
a kinsman redeemer who, in his love and pity, redeemed us from
all of our sin. That's called the gospel. That's
good news. Go back to Isaiah 63. Verse nine says in all their
affliction, he was afflicted and the angel of his presence
saved them in his love and in his pity, he redeemed them and
he bear them. That means lifted them up, raised
them up, set them on high. The word bear literally translates
to take up. In his loving kindness, he set
his people among princes, namely the Prince of Peace. He seated
his people with him. You know, we fell so far, but Christ raised us back up
so high. I love that poem. It says, by nature and by practice,
far, how very far from God. Yet by grace brought nigh to
him through faith in Jesus' blood. Now near, so very near to God,
I cannot nearer be. For in the person of his Son,
I am as near as he. In Christ, in what Christ has
done for us, in his loving kindness, as near to the Father as he is,
that's how near we are in him, being raised up together with
him. Verse 9 says, in all their affliction, he was afflicted.
And the angel of his presence saved them. In his love and in
his pity, he redeemed them. And he bare them and carried
them all the days of old. Not only has he raised us up,
but he has, he does, and he will carry us all the days of our
life. Now through eternity, he carries
his people. Look with me at Isaiah 46. Isaiah
46, verse 3, it says, Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob. and all the remnant of the house
of Israel, which are born by me from the belly, which are
carried from the womb. And even to your old age, I am
he. And even to gray hairs, even
to whore hairs, will I carry you. I have made, and I will
bear, Even I will carry and will deliver you." That's sweet, isn't
it? What a promise that is. You know
what you call that? Loving kindness. What it is,
loving kindness. His loving kindness, His mercy,
His grace on us in spite of us. That's the glory of it, in spite
of us. To Him be all the glory. To Him be all the thanks. To
Him be all that praise. Amen.