We're going to start again this
morning in the book of Isaiah to read the text where we were
last week in Isaiah chapter 32. And the first two verses of Isaiah
Chapter 32 says, Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness,
and princes shall rule in judgment. And a man shall be as in hiding
place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest, as rivers of
water in a dry place, as the shadow of a great rock in a weary
land. And we also noted that In some
of the older versions and other translations it says, Behold
the king shall reign, capital K, the king shall reign in righteousness,
princes shall ruin judgment, and the man, or that man, speaking
of the king, shall be as in hiding place from the wind and a covert
from the tempest, as rivers of water in a dry place, and as
the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. And we're going
to see Again, we'll touch on some of the verses that show
and talk about the Lord Jesus Christ himself being the king
and being that man that's spoken of and indeed being that rock. And it talks about man being
a covert from the tempest and a hiding place from the wind
and a shelter there. And we're going to look at a
few passages that we'd also looked at last week. We'll mention them
and then we're going to be looking at this week of the Lord himself
being that covert and being the fortress and being the rock to
his people, rock of salvation and the hiding place that he
is. that we're going to read in the
book of Psalms. We're going to look at him being
our rock, shelter, refuge, and then we're going to look at a
couple of places that speak to the need for that rock and why
there's a need for shelter and a what that tempest, what that
speaks of. And we're going to look at a
couple of verses to that, but in, in Psalm, book of Psalms,
I'm going to start with the Psalm 18. And in Psalm 18, We're going to look at a couple
of different places and not read the whole psalm, but it says,
Psalm 18, verse 1, I will love thee, O Lord, my strength. The
Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my
strength in whom I will trust, my buckler and the horn of my
salvation, and my high tower. I will call upon the Lord who
is worthy to be praised, so shall I be saved from my enemies. And
here it speaks about that the Lord, the strength, my rock or
concealment, that word is also interpreted. Fortress, deliver,
strength, buckler, horn of salvation, high tower, many terms used in
the Psalms and other, just the scripture that show a picture
and pictures of who the Lord is to his people. He's the strength,
he's the defense that we have and the strength that we have. And also down here, and also in Psalm
18, verse 28 and 29 and down a couple
of verses it says, speaking of the Lord, For thou wilt light
my candle, the Lord my God will enlighten my darkness. For by
thee I have run through a troop, and by my God I have leaped over
a wall. As for God, his way is perfect,
the word of the Lord is tried. He is a buckler to all those
that trust in him. For who is God, save the Lord
or who is a rock, save our God. Um, and it goes on, it talks
about him being shield and our salvation and, and, uh, in, in
that Psalm. And then in Psalm, uh, 46, uh,
we're going to just stop at a couple of, a couple of more places,
but it all through the Psalms, it talks about the, who his people,
um, put their trust in and who the salvation is. And, um, the
Lord is our banner. We stand under in, uh, just all
through the Psalms. The thrust of the Psalms is,
uh, who are the Lord is to his people and, and, um, what is
said of him. It says in Psalm 46 in the first,
in the first verse says, starting with verse one, it says, God
is our refuge. and strength, a very present
help in trouble. Therefore will we not 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,
Selah, there is a river, and the streams whereof shall make
glad the city of God, the holy place of the tabernacles of the
Most High. God is in the midst of her. She
shall not be moved. God shall help her, and that
right early. The heathen raged, and the kingdoms
were moved. He uttered his voice. The earth
melted. The Lord of hosts is with us.
The God of Jacob is our refuge, Selah. Come behold the works
of the Lord. What desolations he hath made
in the earth. He maketh wars to cease unto
the end of the earth. He breaketh the bow and cutteth
the spear and sunder. He burneth the chariot in the
fire. Be still and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the heathen.
I will be exalted in the earth. The Lord of hosts is with us.
The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah. And the whole Psalm there,
those 11 verses, again, proclaiming that God is the strength and
the salvation. The refuge, as it says here again,
and the one that is our refuge as it ends with there, and it
says, be still and know that I am God. And we're gonna see
that this is the working of God, not something that we work up
in ourself, that he has to reveal himself to us, and it's not possible
to be realized. naturally by ourselves. And then,
lastly, for now in Psalm 61, the first few verses
of that say, hear my cry, O God, attend unto
my prayer. From the end of the earth will
I cry unto thee. When my heart is overwhelmed,
lead me to the rock that is higher than I. Verse three, for thou
hast been a shelter for me and a strong tower from the enemy. I will abide in thy tabernacles
forever. I will trust in the covert of
thy wings, Selah. And then it goes on down in the
next Psalm, it talks about our rock and our refuge and our defense
and our salvation. And again, the whole of the book
of Psalms is speaking of our God and the deliverance that
he provides his people, not just in the physical things that many
times is being referred to, but in the spiritual defense and
shelter that his people need. In 1 Corinthians, in 1 Corinthians chapter 10. There's a few things that we
want to mention here about this. In 1
Corinthians chapter 10, starting with the verse one of
chapter 10, Paul says, Moreover, brethren,
I would not that ye should be ignorant, how that all our fathers
were under the cloud and passed through the sea, and were all
baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea, and did eat the
same spiritual meat, and did all drink the same spiritual
drink. For they drank of that spiritual rock that followed
them, and that rock was Christ. And those that were there. They all were under
the physical blessing of God and the deliverance of God, but
there were those of his own that truly drank from the rock and
as it says here, drank the same spiritual drink for they drank
of that spiritual rock, capital R, that followed them and that
rock was Christ. So that one in the Old Testament
there, that rock in that picture was the Lord himself. There was
no change when Malachi finished in the gap between there and
Matthew started. We didn't switch gears and have
a different God and different thing. Christ didn't just come
on the scene when Jesus was born physically. He was that rock
that followed them. He was the one that clothed them
in the garden. He was always the one that dealt
with his people down through time. And here it says that spiritual
rock. Back up to 1 Samuel, if you would,
and we're going to look at a couple of pretty important thoughts
here that don't change gears with our Lord
being the refuge and the shelter and the fortress that we have,
but we'll put it in a little bit of perspective. In 1 Samuel
chapter two, 1 Samuel chapter 2. Samuel being dedicated and Hannah
prays. We're going to look at about three verses here. Chapter
2 of 1 Samuel verse 1 says, and Hannah prayed and said, my heart
rejoices in the Lord. Mine horn is exalted in the Lord. My mouth is enlarged over mine
enemies because I rejoice in thy salvation. There is none
holy as the Lord, for there is none beside thee, neither is
there any rock like our God. And then down in verse, it goes on, it speaks down through
here in Eli and then is speaking. And then in verse 25, Let's back up just a minute to
verse 22, 1 Samuel 2, 22. It says, Now Eli was very old
and heard all that his sons did unto all Israel, and how that
they lay with the women that assembled at the door of the
tabernacle of the congregation. And he said unto them, Why do
you such things? For I hear of your evil dealings
by all this people. Nay, my sons, for it is no good
report that I hear. Ye make the Lord's people to
transgress. If one man sin against another,
the judge shall judge him. But if a man sin against the
Lord, who shall entreat for him? Notwithstanding, they hearkened
not unto the voice of their father, because the Lord would slay them.
And here, this verse here that he says, it says a lot. When he says, if a man sins against
another, you go to court, the judge is going to judge between
that. But he says here in the second half, if a man sin against
the Lord, who shall entreat for him? And there's a, there's a,
um, there's a different problem here. It's a different thing.
It's not a man against a man. It's, it's a man sinning against
the Lord. And he's not just speaking about
the situation that the sons are in and being bad guys. That is,
that is indeed sin. And that was something that man
can't entreat. He can't argue with God about
the situation, but more importantly, the nature that, that, that,
uh, that came upon all men is we're going to look at a passage
in Romans just a little bit down here. And he's saying, who's
going to go and treat their case before God in not only of doing
something, a sin, but more importantly, the nature of sin that we come
by through Adam. And that it leaves it there.
And it's kind of like there's no in this situation, it's not,
he's asking the question, who's going to, who's going to be that,
that one. And let's turn to first Timothy
into a, a verse that we, that we know, know well, and is, is
brought up often about this, this very thing. And, and in,
in first, in first Timothy chapter two, Uh, let me see. Where do I want
to start? Just a second here. It says two things. We're going to, we're
going to read that and then we're going to back up to chapter one and
read a verse two. Verse five says, for there is
one God and one mediator between God and man and men, the man,
Christ Jesus. And we're going to look at a
couple of the spots, but one mediator between God and men,
the man, Christ Jesus. And we're going to look at a
couple other spots that show this and talk to this. But think
back to the verse there in Isaiah where it says, that man shall
do there. And a mediator has to be one
that can go to either party and can mediate between the parties.
Man could not, as it said in Samuel there, what man's going to stand before
God and plead his case? and justify himself. There has
to be a mediator. And as it says here, there's
only one, and that's the Lord himself, the man, Christ Jesus.
And that can be that only mediator. And then turn back to Job, turn
back to the book of Job. And the book of Job has a lot
of text of men speaking with God. Not doing a very good job of
it in the situation of who they're dealing with, God himself. In the chapter nine, Job is just an interesting, it's
just a good book and there's a lot of of what God is saying
here, and there's a lot of what man's kind of natural replies
and thought to God is, and it's a little bit wanting what
man has to say. But in Job chapter 9, the first
three verses to start with, it says, Then Job answered and said,
I know it is so of a truth, but how should man be just with God?
Good, pretty good question. That's what, that's what we saw
there in Samuel. Who's going to argue or reply
with God? If he will contend with him, he cannot answer him
one of a thousand. And then verses 32 and 33, speaking of speaking of God and
then speaking of our, of our Lord Jesus Christ and his mediator
verse 32. And it says, He, speaking of
God, is not a man as I am, that I should answer him, and we should
come together in judgment. Neither is there any daysman
betwixt us that might lay his hand upon us both. Let him take
his rod away from me, and let not his fear terrify me. Then
would I speak, and not fear him, but it is not so with me. In
here of natural man, he says, who's going to, he has the same
question. Who's going to deal with God? Who's going to go before God
and, and as equals and, and, and reason, uh, the position
that man has, uh, and how, how should a man be just with God?
Pretty, pretty tough question. And then down here, it's, it's
talks about that in verse 32 and 33, he's not a man as I am. that should answer him, and we
should come together in judgment. There are not two parties that
are able to do that. Neither is there any daysman
betwixt us, and the daysman as the mediator or go-between or
one that can see both sides, as it were, and justify or to
plead a case. The natural natural situation
that man finds himself in, there he is. He's sinful creature that is
not on good terms with God and can't just say, well, let's talk
this out, God, and we'll get it squared away. Not able to
do that. Not able to do that. There's
no one between us that lays hand on us both. as a mediator. As it said there in Timothy,
there is only one mediator between men and God and that is the man,
Christ Jesus. That throws out all the other
religious thinking that there can be any other mediator. There was a picture of that mediator
and it explains it in the book of Hebrews. There is a picture
of that mediator in the priesthood and the one that took the offering
into the Holy of Holies and made offering for the people in the
Old Testament in that economy, that was a picture of that. That
wasn't the true mediator between men and God. That was a picture
of the true mediator and of the true sacrifice of the Lord himself. And there was just no, they found
none. And then you answered that question. And Job asked that. And then,
like I said, in Samuel, it asked that question, who's going to
do that? And we've got to go back to a couple of lessons,
several lessons we had here just about a month and a half ago
that both Norm and Mike touched upon and spent some time. And go to Isaiah chapter 7. And then
we're going to go over to the New Testament. We're going to,
we're going to take a look at a few things in chapter seven
of Isaiah. Verse 13 of chapter 7 of Isaiah,
and could back up, but start with that. It says, and he said,
hear ye now, O house of David, is it a small thing for you to
weary men, but will ye also, but will you weary my God also? Therefore the Lord himself shall
give you a sign. Behold, a virgin shall conceive
and bear a son and shall call his name Emmanuel. And we're
going to look at a couple other places. We're going to have God with
us. Genesis chapter three and 15, it says, there's going to
be one that's going to take care of this problem. He's going to
be bruised, but he's going to bruise the head of the serpent.
And that's the first direct prophecy we have of the Lord himself coming
to take care of that problem that came in the garden. Let's turn to Matthew. We're going to look at a spot
in Matthew and a spot in Luke just quickly that we covered
in some detail here earlier in Mike Baker's lessons in the morning
and in the preaching services before Christmas time in the advent
time of the Lord. Chapter one of Matthew, and I'd
like to just read down verse 20, 20 through the end of the
chapter of Matthew chapter one. In fact, back up verse 18, it
says, Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise, as his
mother Mary was a spouse to Joseph, before they came together she
was found with child of the Holy Ghost. Then Joseph, her husband,
being a just man and not willing to make her a A public example
was minded to put her away privily. But while he thought on these
things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in
a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take
unto thee Mary thy wife, for that which is conceived in her
is of the Holy Ghost. And she shall bring forth a son,
and thou shalt call his name Jesus, for he shall save his
people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it
might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophets,
saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring
forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being
interpreted is God with us. Then Joseph, being raised from
sleep, did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took
unto him his wife, and knew her not till she had brought forth
her firstborn son, and he called his name Jesus. after what the scriptures had
said from the beginning on through the prophets, speaking of our
Lord in different ways and manners, of speaking about him having
a people and delivering his people. Here we have an angel speaking
to him and saying, this is of the Lord, and this is who this
is. This is Emmanuel, God with us. And Jesus, he should save his
people from their sin. And then in Luke chapter one,
similar. And Luke chapter one, we had several wonderful messages
and lessons on this, on this very thing. Luke chapter one
and We're going to go down to verse 30. Luke 1, chapter 30,
or verse 30, and read down a few verses. It says, And the angel
said unto her, Fear not, Mary, for thou hast found favor with
God. And behold, thou shalt conceive
in thy womb, and shalt bring forth a son, and shalt call his
name Jesus. He shall be great, and shall
be called the Son of the Highest. And the Lord God shall give unto
him the throne of his father David. And he shall reign over
the house of Jacob forever, and his kingdom there shall be no
end. Then said Mary unto the angel,
How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? And the angel answered
and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the
power of the highest shall overshadow thee. Therefore also that holy
thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son
of God. here that other record we have
or another record we have of the same thing being told that
this was going to be born was the son of God. And as we look
back in Isaiah chapter 32, the word speaking about that, that
man, the king shall be a hiding place and a covert from the,
from the tempest and a hiding place from the storm had to be
a man had to be, had to be flesh and blood. to be able to be the
days man or the mediator. And as it says, he's the only
mediator. He's the only one that is God in the flesh. And that's
the only one by which the scriptures or, or we can preach salvation
by, by no other, no other one by the Lord himself. And we're
going to, we're going to look at a couple of, uh, things, uh,
to do with that. In Philippians chapter 2, Philippians
chapter 2 starting with verse 5. It says, Paul says, let this
mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus, who being in
the form of God thought it not robbery to be equal with God,
but made himself of no reputation and took upon in the form of
a servant and was made in the likeness of men and being found
in fashion as a man, he humbled himself and become obedient unto
death, even the death of the cross. Wherefore God hath also
highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every
name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things
in heaven, and things in the earth, and things under the earth,
and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is
Lord, to the glory of the Father. Here it speaks again of him taken
on that form, or that body of flesh, And as we're going to
see, it had to be that. It had to be that one that could
put hands on both, as that picture of the daisman was. Hands on man and hand to God. And he's indeed where the only
way that men and God can meet is indeed in him. It had to be
that way. In Romans, we're going to look
at a couple of passages in Romans, and we'll see how this connects
in. But Romans chapter 2, Romans chapter 2, in the first few verses of it,
And it goes up and above is speaking about what man is like and by
nature that what man is like and it's not a pretty picture. It's a true picture of man is
not by nature looking after the things of God and is just this
innocent person. It speaks of what the nature
of man is like and it's not a good, it fell in the garden and it
fell completely. and completely sinful. In verse
1 of chapter 2 of Romans, and down a few verses, it says, Therefore
thou art inexcusable, O man, whoever so art thou art that
judgest. For wherein thou judgest another,
thou condemnest thyself. For thou that judgest doest the
same things. But we are sure that the judgment
of God is according to truth against them which commit such
things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which
do such things, and doest the same, that thou shalt escape
the judgment of God? Or despisest thou the riches
of his goodness, and forbearance, and longsuffering, not knowing
that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance? As it speaks
here and says that, there is no standing that man has before
God. There is no, there's not a standing.
There's not a, well, here's my position. And in our position
as it's here is we are sure that the judgment of God is according
to truth against them. It's commit such things. And
there's a big list above them, but the long and short of it
is that have the nature of man, have the sin nature. There is
no, there is no, As it says here, there's no excuse. But as I said
before, who's going to stand with God and justify himself
and reason with God the position away? Only the mediator that
we have. And it had to be man and God.
And that is the Lord himself, as we saw, God with us. In Romans
chapter 5. These are one of those things
in a lesson you could have a parenthesis and put Romans in there and then
see Romans and all that Romans has to say about man and God
in a wonderful, wonderful book that we've gone through before.
But in Romans chapter 5, and I'd like to start with verse
12 and reading down just a bit, it says, Wherefore, as by one
man, Sin entered into the world, and death by sin. So death passed
upon all men, for that all have sinned. For until the law, sin
was in the world, but sin is not imputed when there is no
law. Nevertheless, death reigned from
Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the
similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that
was to come. but not as the offense, so is
also the free gift. For if through the offense of
one many be dead, much more the grace of God and the gift by
grace, which is by one man, Jesus Christ hath abounded unto many. And not as it was by one that
sinned, so is the gift. For the judgment was by one to
condemnation, but the free gift is of many offenses unto justification. For if by one man's offense death
reigned by one, much more they which receive abundance of grace
and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus
Christ. Therefore, as by the offense
of one judgment came upon all men to condemnation, even so
by the righteousness of one the free gift came upon all men under
justification of life. For as by one man's disobedience
many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many
be made righteous. Moreover, the law entered that
the offense might abound, but where sin abounded, grace did
much more abound, that as sin hath reigned unto death, even
so might grace reign through righteousness unto eternal life
by Jesus Christ our Lord." And here again, reiterating the standing
that man has is death. It was handed down to us and
we perpetuate that down the line. But life and righteousness by
Jesus Christ to his people and as that mediator. Adam brought
in death to all. Christ brings in life to all
his own that he died for. And a couple of passages in,
as we, as we kind of wrapped this up in a couple of thoughts
in, um, and, and as a, and as an aside here, we're not going
to turn to it, but in Luke chapter 24, remember the two on the road
to Emmaus and they, they thought that this man, this King that
was going to come and take care of issues was going to take care
of physical issues. They had been around, they had
seen these things and they're down in the mouth because they
think that the king just got taken care of. He was crucified
dead and put in a tomb. He was no more as far as they
were concerned. They were looking for the earthly
king and the earthly salvation. And the Lord met them on the
road. showed them all the scriptures
that talked about him in the law and the prophets and opened
their eyes and they said, wow, we've got to tell people about
this. And it was when the eyes were open to it, they knew the
words of it, but they saw that as physical deliverance. And the Lord himself explained
to them and talked to them about that in the book of Acts, just
a couple of spots, and we're going to move on to other things. In Acts
chapter 10, we're not going to read all of this down through
here, but that In this passage here in chapter
10, it's speaking about, accepted of God is those that
work righteousness. And he's not speaking about religious
things, but the only one that works righteousness is the Lord
himself and those that stand in him as that covert from the
storm. And it says here, Verse 42, it says, and he commanded
us to preach unto the people and to testify that it is he
which was ordained of God to be the judge of quick and dead.
To him give all the prophets witness that through his name,
whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. And
this is speaking of the Lord himself, that to him, the Lord
himself give all the prophets witness. That's what the prophet's
record is for, is to give witness and speak of him. That he is the one, he is that
day's man. He's that mediator. He's the
one that brings in righteousness and that
his people stand in. And that's the shelter that we
stand in, is that robe of righteousness. And then in one more One more
spot in Romans 16, last part of the book of Romans. In Romans 16, it says, Romans 16 and verse 25. Verse 24, it says, verse 24 says,
the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen. Now to
him that is a power to establish you according to my gospel and
the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of
the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, but is
now made manifest and by the scriptures of the prophets according
to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations
for the obedience of faith. To God only wise be glory through
Jesus Christ forever. Amen. And this here, kind of
putting that together, that through this man, through the Lord Jesus
Christ that came in the flesh, that was the true ransom and
the true redemption, the true sacrifice for his people, that
is the only one that life is in, and it says, only one power
to establish it according to the gospel, preaching of Jesus
Christ, revelation of the mystery, and that is only done by God
himself. Those two on the road to Emmaus
probably knew verses that Christ spoke of himself and said, this
is speaking of me. They probably knew those verses,
but had not been revealed to him until, and he says, their
eyes were opened. It happens to all of God's people
by his spirit. We're not going to turn to it,
but in the book of Philippians at the end of chapter two, I
believe it is, Paul says, I only hope that I'm found in him in
the end. That is the standing that we
have in that. So that verse again, In Isaiah,
rather, the King shall reign in righteousness and that man
shall be as a hiding place. And speaking of the Lord Jesus
Christ himself. And as customary at this time,
be free. Thank you.