The Lord of hosts has sworn,
saying, Surely, as I have thought, so shall it come to pass. As
I have purposed, so shall it stand, that I will break the
Assyrian in my land, and upon my mountains tread him underfoot.
then shall his yoke depart from off of them, these God's people,
and his burden depart from their shoulder. This is the purpose
that is purposed upon the whole earth, and this is the hand that
is stretched out upon all of the nations. For the Lord of
hosts hath purpose, and who shall disannul? His hand is stretched
out, who shall turn it back? Or write Isaiah 46 verse 9 through
verse 11. Remember the former things of
old, for I am God, there is none else. I am God, none like me. Declaring the end from the beginning
and from ancient things that are not yet done saying, my counsel
shall stand and I will do all my pleasure. calling a ravenous
bird from the east, the man that executed my counsel from a far
country. Yea, I have spoken it, I will
also bring it to pass. I have purposed it, I also will
do it." Now, brothers and sisters, we are about to cast our net
into the deep end of the ocean of truth of the Word of God. There is hardly a doctrine more
delightful to the elect more desired by them or more perverted
by religion than that of the sovereign purpose of our great
God. Now granted, there are many who
do not deny that God has a purpose or a plan. They affirm that He
does and declare it. Then they deny what they have
affirmed by denying that God's will is sovereign and is immutable. Yes, they say, indeed, God has
a purpose, God has a will, but that He does not infallibly enforce
it by the great power of His arm. Then there came another
distinction out of the Armenian camp, a distinction between God's
perfect will and His permissive will. They say that He permits
things to be done which are actually contrary to His great and perfect
will. We could put this question aside.
How can any then tell What is His perfect will and what is
only His permitted will, if we make that distinction? We ask,
and how does the prophet Isaiah frame his view of the purpose
of God? Does He allow for a secondary
or a contingent will of another sort or kind? In Isaiah 14, 24
through 27, the overall context is a prophecy of the destruction
of Babylon. Matthew Henry noted, Babylon
was not yet in full power. And the actual overthrow was
many, many years down the road. And it was a prediction that
when they came to power and overrode Israel, that they would be destroyed. But such ruin upon Babylon would
not come in their lifetime. that heard the prophet say these
things. The prophet had predicted it,
that back in verse 21 through verse 23, that utter, utter ruin
would befall Babylon. complete and absolute destruction
that would come the fall of the royal family and all of the infrastructure
that had been built up by the Babylonians. Now what comfort
could that be to the generation then suffering under the yoke
of Babylon? The prophet informs them that
they will give evidence of that destruction determined against
Babylon, and they have evidence of it. This he does in verse
24 through verse 27, and confirms it with a divine oath the Lord
of hosts hath sworn that as a forerunner of the destruction of Babylon,
their present enemies, the Assyrians and the Philistines, who at this
time had their foot upon the throat of Israel, would be crushed
by God right before their very eyes. In Isaiah 14, 25, I will
break the Assyrians in my land. I will tread him underfoot with
the result described in verse 25 and the last part. that the
yoke of the Assyrian would be removed. The burden would be
lifted off of their shoulder. Now, what assurance that such
would be the case? What is the ground that such
a promise will be fulfilled and come to fruition? How shall it
be realized, this purpose of God? Well, the answer is, as
in other places, and matters, the Lord confirms His promise
by an oath of swearing that it shall be. The Lord of hosts has
sworn. He adds an oath to His promise.
as to the certainty of the thing declared. Now look at verse 24. As I have thought, so shall it
come to pass. As I have had that thought in
my mind, says the Almighty God, so shall it come to pass. Look
at verse 24. As I have purposed, so shall
it stand. Look at verse 26. This is the
purpose that is purposed upon the whole earth. That is, this
is the purposing of the Lord. And this is the hand that is
stretched out to all nations. Verse 27, For the Lord of hosts
hath purposed, and who shall this know? His hand is stretched
out. Who shall stay it, or stop it,
or turn it back? Now, we want to notice that there
are four references here to the purpose of God in this text,
and that over and over, using repetition, the Lord affirms
the certainty of affecting His purpose. Reading Calvin on verse
27, he called it a decree, a purpose, a decree, a will of God. And as it were, in verse 27,
the prophet hurls out a double challenge unto the people to
whom he is ministering. A, who shall disannul? Who shall cause God's purpose
to fall to the ground? and to fail in utterly come to
nothing? Who can frustrate the purpose
of God? Who can overthrow what God has
purposed? Who is there that can cancel
out what the Almighty has determined? Who among all the people and
all of the potentate and the powerful upon all of the earth
can bring God's plan to nothing so that it falls unfulfilled? Who is there that can effectually
frustrate what God intends to do, that it fails or that it
comes to nothing and that God loses His intent? And then B,
when his hand is stretched out in the hand of the Almighty,
a term we often see in the Scripture. His hand is stretched out that
he might execute his purpose, and he is implementing his purpose
as his hand is stretched out to fulfill and bring to pass
that which he will. Who is there who can slap his
hand back and cause it to go again? You know, this is a truth
that is sustained in the Scripture repeatedly. For example, listen
carefully. to Daniel chapter 4 and verse
35, all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing. And He does according to His
will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of the
earth. None can stay his hand or say
unto him, What doest thou? In Job 9 and verse 12, Behold,
he takes away, and who can hinder him? Who will say unto him, What
are you doing? Who can call in question the
way and the purpose of God? Romans 9 and 20. Who art thou,
O man, that replies against God? Who are you that answers against
God and against His way and against His purpose? Job 33 and 13, why
do you strive against Him? for he gives no account of his
matter." No matter how Job tried, he could not go before the Lord
or get Him to give an account of his matter. And when Daniel
4.35 said, all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing,
he means they are reckoned, they are counted. They're reputed
nothing. That is, they are nothing in
comparison to the Almighty God. They can raise up together in
unison. They can form a union, but they
cannot stay His hand. And they're calling the ways
of God into question. And refudiating them is vain
and impotent blathering on the part of the enemies of God. They can oppose Him, and they
do, but not successfully. They can fight against Him, and
they do, but in the end they will lose. and be crushed by
the power of God. In Acts chapter 5 verse 34 through
verse 39, with the Sanhedrin in session, their intent being
to smother out the preaching of Jesus Christ and of the gospel,
to smother out the preaching of Peter, James, and John and
the other. There stood up in that council
a respected doctor of the law named Gamaliel who cautioned
the members of that court on that particular day in Acts 5,
verse 38 and verse 39 to leave the disciples alone, not move
against them, not put their hand upon them. For he said, if their
movement is of men, it will come to nothing. If this is a movement
of men, it will die out in time or be destroyed or overcome. But, in verse 39, if it be of
God, you cannot overthrow it. You will not be able to destroy
it lest you be found aptly fighting against God. Now, to fight against
God is not wise. It is a foolish thing indeed
to do. See Acts 23 and verse 9. Now, our second thought in Isaiah
chapter 46 has to do with the overthrow of Babylon and the
casting down and the smashing of their idol. And the prophet
gives them, as it were, a two-edged exhortation. Number one, he says
to them, to detest and abstain from the idols of the heathen. Have nothing to do with them.
Do not bow down to them or give them reverence or worship. at
all. And secondly, the prophet exhorts
them to believe the Word of God. Leave their idols alone and their
vain superstition and believe the Word of God. Now in that
place, let's put verse 8, 9, and 10 together. An exhortation
to the people of God to remember that their God was distinct and
more excellent and superior to all the gods of the heathen. In fact, He fulfilled His Word. He brought to pass His promises
and His prophecy exactly and minutely as said. Look at verse
9. He is God, there is none else. Look at verse 10, Isaiah 46. He declares the end, even the
things that are not done yet, whose counsel shall stand. Consider Isaiah chapter 46. And this time, verse 11, calling
a ravenous bird from the east, the man that executed my counsel
from a far country, yea, I have spoken it, I also will bring
it to pass, I have purposed it, I also will do it. Here is the
manner. in which the counsel of God will
stand and His pleasure will be accomplished, which in the context
is the overthrow of Babylon, as we mentioned earlier. Not
only the overthrow of Babylon, but then the restoration and
the building up again of Israel. Notice in verse 11, calling a
ravenous bird, a bird of prey, a ravenous bird from the east. Note next, he calls this bird
a prey, a person, the man that executes my counsel. It is a man, a person, and he
is from a far country. Most sound expositors believe
that this bird, or this man, to be a reference to the man
Cyrus. Cyrus was a Persian. some distance away from Babylon
and was not aware that he was impelled by the secret providence
of God to come against Babylon when it occurred. It is not that
Cyrus had in his heart any desire or intention to fulfill the purpose
or the pleasure of God, he was the man that executes my counsel. For God purposed to crush Babylon
and deliver Israel, not by a man from a far country who had no
knowledge at all of the purpose of God. Matthew Henry said about
this, even those who know not and mind not God's revealed will,
or made use of to fulfill the counsels of His secret will,
which shall all be punctually accomplished in their season
by whatever hand He proposes." Now this is evident of the sovereign
power and purpose of our God. In that, God declared by His
prophet what He would do, as well as the instrument by which
He intended to bring it all to pass. not one of his servants,
not a man whose heart was hot and heavy for the ways of God,
not one like Eli who yearned for the ark of God, not one committed
to God, but a man afar off. And yet, notice in the text,
God calls him the man that executes my counsel. Oh, what a wonder
is expressed by Solomon the wise man in Proverbs 21 and verse
1. It says, and I quote, The king's
heart is in the hand of the Lord as the rivers, or literally the
channels of water, he turneth it whithersoever he will." Now
if Cyrus is called the man that executes my pleasure by God,
then consider Isaiah 10 verses 5 through 8. Verse 5, God by
the prophet calls Asher or Assyria the rod of mine anger and their
staff in their hand is my indignation." Here is an instrument of God
to bring judgment and punishment upon Israel. Some think that
this refers to a man named King Sennacherib of Assyria who, like
Cyrus, was unknown to them, but they were the instruments of
God and were going to be used by Him. Sennacherib would be
used of the Lord to chastise Israel and then suffer the judgment
of God. Because in that chapter, verse
6, is very somber. Quote, I will send him against
a hypocritical nation. I will give him a charge to take
a spoil. and to take a spoil and a prey
and to tread upon them. But look back at verse 7 in that
10th chapter of Isaiah, that though he is sent by God and
though he has a commission from God in the form of an inward
impulse carried out in him, Howbeit he means not so, neither does
his heart think so." They had neither idea or intention to
fulfill or to serve the purpose of God. like those whose hands
were extended to crucify the Lord Jesus Christ. They had not
the idea or the intention to do service to God or to bring
to pass the great salvation of God or fulfill the Scripture
or the fallen sons of Adam to be saved by and through their
act, like Joseph's brothers who only meant evil in selling him
away into slavery. Therefore, the occasion of saving
much people alive by the actions of Joseph's brethren. According
to Revelation 17 and 17, God puts it in the heart of some
to act in such a way as fulfills the Word of God. For He is the
Sovereign of the heart and of the conscience. Consider Isaiah
45, verse 23, I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out
of my mouth. in righteousness, and shall not
return, that unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall
swear." There is little doubt that Paul had this in his mind
when he wrote in Philippians chapter 2, verse 9 through verse
11. Some see the verse in Isaiah
45 and verse 23 as a prediction of the calling and conversion
of the Gentiles. At that time, such a thing seemed
not only improbable, but also impossible, hard to believe,
or seems contrary to the former event. God, therefore, confirms
it with an oath. And because He can swear by no
greater, He swears by Himself. In this, Isaiah 45 and 23, is
a reference to the calling of the Gentile. Then it seemed like
an unlikely occurrence and event unto the Jews of that day who
saw themselves the special people of God and saw the Gentile as
the heathen idolater. And also, Paul makes two direct
references to this passage in the New Testament writing, in
Romans 14, 10 and 11, and Philippians 2, 9 through 11. And as John Gill wrote, which
the Apostle quotes and applies to the Judgment Day, all are
required to bow the knee. When Joseph passed by, he had
been elevated to the Prime Minister over all the land, second in
command only under the Pharaoh. And when he passed through the
land, that is, Joseph rode in that second chariot Genesis 41
and 43, they were to bow the knee, bow the knee as Joseph
came among them. So is given time. All will bow
their knee and will confess the divinity of the exalted Christ
whom Paul is describing. Not mass conversion in the day
of judgment or mass conversion at all. And I agree with Calvin
that Paul is not necessarily speaking here of voluntary obedience
on their part. And yet they will know that he
is made both Lord and Christ. that His is the name above every
name that is named, so that even the unbeliever, and the blasphemer,
and the hypocrite, and the atheist, and such like. John Gill said
on that great text in Philippians 2 and verse 10 and 11, quote,
Every creature must give him reverence and be subject to him,
and all shall either freely or forcibly do so." Well, let's
go back to our original premise, that certainty of God's sovereign
purpose Some might say that our two original texts read from
Isaiah had only to do with earthly or mundane matters and not spiritual
matters at all, and that they have nothing to do with a sovereign,
irresistible purpose in the salvation of sinners. Then coming to Ephesians
chapter 1, we answer those critics. some very clear statements concerning
the purpose of God and in connection with salvation. For example,
Ephesians 1 and verse 5, according to the good pleasure of His will. Ephesians 1 9, according to his
good pleasure which he purposed in himself. Again in Ephesians
1 and verse 11, according to the purpose of him who works
all things after the counsel of his own will. And this includes
election, and fordonation, and the adoption of son, their redemption
by Christ, their regeneration, and their calling by the Holy
Spirit. By this great process, none are
lost which the Father hath committed into the care of the Son. And in due time, all of the sheep
are found and are brought into the fold. For God to declare
that His purpose shall stand, and every word come to pass,
and every soul that Jesus died for be saved, is an open claim
on God's part that He is the sovereign over all things, and
that all power is His, that He is omniscient, He knows all things,
He has infinite wisdom so that he is able to guide by his providence
so that things fall out according to his good pleasure. And the
skill to guide things to their appointed end rests in the hands
of our great God. Now consider three areas where
some might stumble. Number one, some might say that
it was against the will of God for Adam to sin in the garden,
bring the human family into sin. that this was something God never
intended to ever happen. And yet we read, we read, listen,
that Christ was slain before or from the foundation of the
world. A Savior made ready before man
was even created, much less before Secondly, many insist it is God's
will that each and every last member of the individual human
family should be saved by the great salvation of Christ, that
He is the potential Savior of everyone. Where is the will of
God in this, since many have and many are perishing? Some
see the kingdom as postponed when the Jews rejected the Messiah,
and so the Lord brought in in its place the church aid, and
will set up one later. So the question in our mind What
if they continue to reject? What if they go on their way? Then certainly will the kingdom
of Christ never be established. There's a passage in Isaiah 9
which pertains to the great prophecy or promises that God ever made
and which He fulfilled. the beginning of the Messiah,
or rather, I should have said the bringing of the Messiah into
the world. The passage is in Isaiah 9, verse
6 and verse 7. A wonderful one is their promise,
called a son, called wonderful, called counselor, called mighty
God, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace,
speaking of none other than the Lord Jesus Christ. And in the
end of verse 7 it said, The zeal of the Lord of hosts will perform
this. Now, do any count it strange
that zeal is put instead of power or of might? of course is power
and is mine. are engaged in the performing
of this. But the prophet puts in his zeal
as moving the great God to accomplish this. Remember when it was said
to the Lord Jesus, The zeal of my house hath eaten me up. In John 2 and verse 17, when
he cleansed the temple of the money changer, and the crooks
and the hypocrites. And that's taken from Psalm 69
and verse 9. The zeal of the Lord has two
aspects here in connection with this. A, as to wrath and indignation
against His enemy or against the enemies of righteousness. Or, B, that the holy zeal for
His cause and for His glory, ate up or consumed the Lord Jesus,
as we read in the psalm and read in the Gospel of John. Now, we see Jesus both in Jesus
cleansing the temple, the first great prophecy after the fall
was of a mighty one, a seed of the woman, one born through the
line of the woman. to crush and bruise the head
of the serpent. What a mystery was this! For it required that a member
of the Godhead, we call it the Second Person, the Eternal Son,
become incarnate, wear the likeness of our flesh, be born of a woman
into the world. born of a woman, a virgin, without
man, and be born without a human father. This Holy One born of
woman would be the God-man, the Lord Jesus Christ. God and man
in the one person, hypostatically unionized together, taking or
assuming in union with his divine nature, a human nature. Now, consider how many things
have come to pass exactly as God promised. Oh, we can't count
them this morning, for we do not have the time, but simply
how that has been, how minutely fulfilled, how accurately in
life and acts and the death of Christ, how many things were
fulfilled that were prophesied in the Scripture. And then consider
the things not yet fulfilled, which are promised, which we
believe will be fulfilled in God's own good and appointed
time. For as God has been true to much
that He promised and that has already come, they are pledges
that all that God has promised or prophesied will be realized. Think of all the things. that
came to pass to put Israel in the land of promise. All the
things that came to pass in connection with the Lord Jesus, His life
and His dying. He has thought it. He has spoken
it. He has willed it. He has decreed
it. And the Scripture said it shall
come to pass. I have spoken it, I will also
bring it to pass. This is one of God's outstanding
and most important attributes, the attribute of His divine sovereignty. Take it away. What have you left? If God is at loss of His great
sovereignty. I purpose it. I will also perform
it.