The Lord Looks Upon His People In Mercy

Q: What does the Bible say about God's mercy?

God's mercy is a sovereign expression of His love towards the elect, as stated in Isaiah 66:2. The Bible indicates that God extends mercy uniquely to those He has chosen. As stated in Isaiah 66:2, 'But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.' This highlights that God's mercy is sovereignly bestowed upon the humble and those who recognize their need for Him. Historically, the Reformed tradition emphasizes that His mercy is not based on foreseen merit but is entirely an act of His grace. God's mercy is foundational for understanding how He interacts with His people, evidenced in numerous scriptures, including Exodus 33:19, where He declares, 'I will have mercy on whom I will have mercy.'

Q: How do we know God's sovereignty is true?

God's sovereignty is affirmed throughout Scripture and is evidenced in His control over creation and history. The sovereignty of God is a core tenet of Reformed theology, reflected in the belief that He reigns supreme over all things in heaven and earth. Isaiah 66:1 articulates God's authority, declaring, 'Heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool.' This verse showcases His absolute dominion, suggesting that He is instrumental in every aspect of creation and history. The concept is further echoed in passages like Ephesians 1:11, which states that He works all things according to the counsel of His will. This biblical foundation provides believers with assurance about God's overarching control and purpose, reminding us that nothing occurs outside His sovereign plan.

Q: Why is reverence for God's Word important?

Reverence for God's Word ensures we recognize its divine authority and receive it as truth. Reverence for God's Word is crucial for understanding its role in the life of a believer. Isaiah 66:2 highlights that God looks favorably upon those who tremble at His Word, indicating a heartfelt recognition of its significance. The Scripture serves not merely as literature but as God's revelation, inspiring respect and submission. Historically, the Reformed tradition has placed considerable emphasis on the authority and inspiration of Scripture, asserting that it is 'God-breathed' (2 Timothy 3:16). This respect fosters obedience, promotes spiritual growth, and leads to a deeper understanding of Christ, who is described as 'the Word' in John 1:1. Thus, reverence for Scripture is foundational to our faith and relationship with God.

Q: What does it mean to be poor in spirit according to Scripture?

Being poor in spirit refers to a recognition of one's spiritual poverty and dependence on God. In Scripture, being poor in spirit signifies recognizing one's depravity and need for God's grace. This concept is illustrated in Isaiah 66:2, which states that God looks favorably upon those who are poor and contrite in spirit. This does not speak to material wealth but rather to a spiritual condition of humility and brokenness before God. Jesus further emphasized this in the Beatitudes, stating, 'Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven' (Matthew 5:3). This posture of humility is essential for salvation and is a disposition that enables believers to grasp the fullness of God's grace, as they acknowledge their utter dependence on Him for mercy and righteousness.

Isaiah 66, and I'm taking the title from what is found in verse 2. For all those things hath my hand made, that is, heaven and earth, and all those things have been, saith the Lord, but to this man will I look. To this man will I look. to this man that is poor and contrite and trembles at my word. So that's going to be the subject and title of the message. To this man will I look.

Our Lord, our God, declares unto us that He has a special, sovereign look. And that word there, look, means to regard with favor, to regard with pleasure, to regard in mercy and love. It's a special consideration to somebody His own, it's a look of love, it's a look of mercy, it's a look of salvation. The Lord looks upon us. How long has he looked upon us? From eternity, he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world. It's a look of mercy unto God's elect. He said, I will have mercy upon whom I will have mercy.

We, as a body of believers, assembling in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, have a special and unique privilege, which I hope we don't take lightly, that is to hear the Word of God. To hear the Word of God. We just read, thus saith the Lord. This is God speaking. This whole book you hold in your lap is thus saith the Lord. That's a privilege we have to hear God's Word, to read God's Word. Believers do tremble in reverence and receive His Word. They bow in submission to the Word of God.

Because these are not the words of Isaiah. It's not, thus saith Isaiah, although he is a penman, it's, thus saith the Lord God Almighty. His sheep hear His voice. and they do follow Him. We receive the Word of God, not as it is the Word of men, but as it is the Word of truth, that effectively works in the hearts of God's people. Now, verse 1, Isaiah 66 verse 1, he says, Thus saith the Lord.

That statement, I looked it up, it's used 413 times. 413 times. saith the Lord." Now, I think many times we just look at it and read over it and don't think about what's being said. Thus saith the Lord. This is the Lord Jehovah God Almighty. Everything He speaks is absolutely true. Every promise He gives is a precious promise that He will fulfill.

I think oftentimes we just read it and pass over it and don't think too much about it. This book that we hold in our hand is not like any other book. It's the infallible, inspired, God-breed Word of God. What you're holding in your hand. is a very God-inspired, God-breathed word. All Scripture is given by inspiration of God. In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. Revelation 22 to Genesis 1, it's all thus saith the Lord. No matter where we're reading, all Scripture is given of God. You remember this from our study of 2 Peter 1.

For the prophecy came not at old time by the will of man, but holy men of God spake as they were moved, driven by God the Holy Spirit. Isaiah is getting these instructions and he's writing them down. Thus saith the Lord. We are told and charged to preach the word of God. We are told to read the word of God. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Thessalonians and said, I charge you to read this epistle. We're commanded to read his word. We're told to meditate upon his word.

What a blessing it is. We're told to those who read it and hear it and believe it and keep those things, the words of this prophecy, he said, those who hear and read and believe and receive my word, They'll be blessed. You remember this promise? Revelation chapter 1 verse 3, Blessed is he that readeth, and they that hear the words of this prophecy, and keep those things which are written therein, for the time is at hand.

You remember what we studied in Isaiah 55? Turn back over there. Isaiah 55 verse 11. His word says, Isaiah 55 11, So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth, it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing, prosper in the thing whereunto I send it." God's word is not going to fail. Everything He has spoken will come to pass. He said, I've spoken it, I've purposed it, I will do it. You remember Isaiah 46?

I want all of us to make much of the Word, the written Word of God. And the reason it's so important is because it tells us about the whole message of this book is Jesus Christ. Jesus, His person and His work. Jesus Christ and Him crucified. The Word of God is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. The Lord Jesus Christ is the very hope of all of our salvation. Christ is all and in all. Out of His fullness have we all received grace for grace. Now in verse 1, the Lord tells us, He makes two glorious statements.

In verse 1, He said that the heaven, the heaven is my throne. The heaven is my throne. Our Lord and God sits and reigns upon his heavenly throne, his holy throne, with undisputed power, infinite wisdom, and absolute sovereignty. I was reading in the book of Amos, the last chapter in the book of Amos, and this verse says this, Amos 9, verse 6, it is he that buildeth his Spheres, stories in heaven, the upper chambers. He hath founded his troop, his bundle of the earth. He calleth the waters of the sea and poureth them out upon the face of the earth. The Lord is his name. The Lord controls all things.

It's not mother nature. It's not lady luck. It's not misfortune. Many people around this world today are celebrating what they call Earth Day. They're worshiping the earth. They're worshiping the creation rather than the creator. We worship God who made all things.

But heaven is my throne. He said the earth is the Lord and the fullness thereof and they that dwell therein belong to him. He reigns in absolute sovereignty. His dominion is universal. His power is unlimited. His sovereignty extends from the heavens unto the earth. God rules and reigns everywhere over all things. From everlasting to everlasting, thou art God. Remember, the heathen said to David, David, where is your God? He said, our God is in the heavens.

He had done whatsoever He had pleased. Whatsoever the Lord pleased, that's what He does in heaven, earth, sea, and all deep places. So heaven is my throne, my holy, sovereign throne. He sits on it. He rules and reigns over all things, all events, all people, all creatures upon the earth. And then He says, earth, heaven is my throne. Earth is my footstool. Earth is my footstool.

The Lord Jesus Christ, our God, is the sovereign creator of all things. He fashioned the earth for His footstool. He has made all things in this world by the word of His power. He spoke all things into existence. Whatever exists and whatever is created, the Lord Jesus Christ created all things by the word of His power. He's created all things. He sustains all things. He justly rules all things.

No doubt about it, this book teaches clearly the absolute sovereignty of God. He does according to his will in the army of heaven and among the inhabitants of this earth, and no one can stay his hand or say unto him, Lord God Almighty, what doest thou? What doest thou? The Lord our God is not in the universe, one old preacher said. The Lord our God is not in the universe, the universe is in him. His circumference is nowhere, His center is everywhere.

Turn back to Isaiah 40. Isaiah 40. Look at Isaiah 40 verse 22. Isaiah 40 verse 22. Have you not known, verse 21, have you not heard, hath it not been told from the beginning, have you not understood from the foundations of the earth, verse 22, it is seed that sitth upon the circle of the earth, and inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers that stretcheth out to heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in that bringeth the princes to nothing, he maketh the judges of the earth vanity. He sits upon the circle of the earth.

I ran into a fellow not too long ago, a man that I've hired a couple times to cut some trees down. And he was over at the house last summer, last fall, taking out some trees. And he's very good at what he does. And we started talking about different things, the Gospel and different things, about the way of salvation and everything.

And he told me that, he said, you know, the earth is really flat. He's a flat earther. He said, the world is not round. He said, the earth is flat. And I quoted the Scripture to him. He that sits upon the circle of the earth, and he had some vain explanation, but it's quite amazing what men will come up with in their perverted minds when it can clearly be seen, those people that went around the moon and showed pictures from the moon to the earth, and it didn't look flat to me. He sit on the circle, the circle of the earth. But you know, They have a whole society that is founded upon that flat earth theory. And some people have even gone so far as to say, if you don't believe in the flat earth, you don't believe the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ. Isn't that sad? That's sad, isn't it? But that's the perversion of men, the ways of the flesh. Now, our Lord, our God, asks this all-important question in verse one.

Heaven is my throne, earth is my footstool. Where is the house that you build unto me? And where is the place of my rest? Where is the house that can be built to contain Almighty God? Can you contain the Almighty God? I mean, he's omnipresent, he's everywhere. Where's the house that can be built to enable God, the eternal God, to rest? How many people of the past and many people of present want to try to contain Almighty God in places that they build and they say they build these big temples and cathedrals and different things and they say God dwells there.

Well, he may dwell in the hearts of some people, that maybe attend there, but to say that God dwelled in a building? Not so. Listen to this prayer of Solomon. Solomon's prayer at the temple dedication in 2 Chronicles 6.18. But will God in very deed dwell with men upon the earth? Behold, the heavens cannot contain thee, how much less this house that I builded." Now, he's talking about Temple Solomon, Solomon Temple.

He said God doesn't just dwell in that temple, he dwells everywhere. He's not confined to a building, a place. Remember Stephen's message in Acts chapter seven. He quoted this scripture and makes application to his day to show that God is everywhere present, that God is spirit, and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

Indeed, God gave instruction to Moses to construct a tabernacle in the wilderness, and he did give Solomon instruction concerning the temple, but these visible symbols that the Lord did give to his people and dwell among his people was only a type and picture of that true tabernacle, the Lord Jesus Christ.

He is the tabernacle. He is the temple. But what happened to that tabernacle in the wilderness? I mean, they had that tabernacle for 40 years. And I guess when they entered into the promised land, they reconstructed that old tabernacle again to worship God, to approach God. But God put it away. God fulfilled those things in the Lord Jesus Christ. Everything about that temple and that tabernacle is all fulfilled in Christ. What happened to Solomon's temple? It was destroyed when the Lord Jesus Christ fulfilled the type.

The veil of the temple, you remember when he died, the veil of the temple was rent from top to bottom. A few years later, After the Lord's resurrection, you remember he said to those apostles when they were talking about and showing the Lord how beautiful this temple is, you remember what the Lord said?

There's not going to be one stone left upon another. They'll all be thrown down. And when Rome came through in 70 AD, they destroyed that place. The temple is gone. Not one stone left upon another. They do have remnants of the wall. but not the temple. God tore it up because Christ fulfilled all those things. And here's the point.

God does not need us. We need him. Does God need us to build a house for him to dwell in? God does not need our fine temples, our big church buildings, ornate cathedrals, and our many high steeples, stained glass windows upon buildings, and to say that God dwells here, God dwells everywhere.

Everywhere. You members, turn back to Psalm 139. Psalm 139. Luke verse seven. Where shall I go from thy spirit? Or where whither shall I flee from thy presence? Psalm 139 verse seven. If I send up to heaven, thou art there. If I make my bed in hell, in the grave, behold, thou art there. If I take the wings of the morning as well as the outermost parts of the earth and see, even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. If I say, surely the darkness shall cover me, even the night shall be light about me. Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee, but the night shoneth as the day, and the day And the darkness and the light are both alike to thee, for thou hast possessed my reins. Thou hast covered me, my mother's womb. I will praise thee, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Marvelous are thy works, and that my soul knoweth right well. Wonderfully has the Lord made us.

Stephen said in Acts chapter 7, the most high dwelleth not in temples made with hands. And it's interesting, the Apostle Paul in Acts 17, when he's on Mars Hill preaching those people, he said, God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that He is Lord in heaven and earth, He dwells not in temples made with hands. God meets with His people in the Lord Jesus Christ, around the Gospel, where the Gospel is preached. You remember it said, where two or three are gathered together in my name? I'm in their midst.

God dwells in the hearts of His people by the abiding presence of the Holy Spirit that continually bears witness to the personal work of Christ. Our Lord said, when He, the Holy Spirit, has come, He'll take the things of mine and show them unto you. Believers who make up the body of Christ, His church is called the temple of God. He dwells in the hearts of His people. You remember this scripture, 2 Corinthians 6, verse 16.

What agreement hath the temple of God with idols? For you are the temple of the living God. As he said, I will dwell in them and walk in them. I will be their God. They shall be my people. God dwells in the hearts of his people. We are his temple. We are his abiding place. Thy people shall be willing in the day of thy power and the beauty of holiness from the womb of the morning. Thou hast to do of thy youth. Now, that gets us down to verse two.

For all those things hath my hand made. The Lord made the heavens and the earth. The Lord created all things by the word of his power. He spoke them into existence. He created all things out of nothing. He didn't take matter and put it together. There was no matter. There was nothing but God. And God spake, and there was light. God treated all things.

Now watch this. But, he said, say it to the Lord, but to this man will I look. But to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit that trembles at my word. God going to behold this sinner in need of mercy. But to this man will I look. I will pay attention, I will show Sovereign favor and grace, I will regard with pleasure. I will look attentively. I will dwell with this man in his heart, the heart of his sinner. This is a special sovereign look of mercy. To this man will I look.

I thought of three examples. Remember, the Lord was passing through a certain place and he looked up to a tree. Zacchaeus is up in that tree. The Lord looked to this man and said, Zacchaeus, make haste. Come on down today. Today salvation's come to your house. And then he walked in front of a table of a tax collector and looked at a man named Matthew and said, follow me. Blind Bartimaeus. cried out for mercy, and the Lord stood still and looked at Bartimaeus and had mercy upon him." Now, this is a look of mercy. This is a look of grace. You remember this scripture? Turn with me if you want. Ezekiel 16, that cast out infant. Ezekiel chapter 16. We've preached from this portion several times. Ezekiel 16. Verse 6, Ezekiel 16, verse 6. Page 1047. If you got to Cambridge, I'm looking at it. Ezekiel 16, verse 6.

And when I passed by thee and saw thee polluted in thy own blood, I said unto thee, when thou wast in thy blood, live. Yea, I said unto thee, when thou wast in thy blood, live. I have caused thee to multiply at the butt of the field, Thou hast increased and waxen great. Thou art come to excellent ornaments. Thy breasts are fashioned, thy hair is grown, whereas thou wast naked and bare when I passed by thee and looked upon thee. And behold, it was a time of love, and I spread my skirt over thee.

I've covered thy nakedness, I swear unto thee, and entered into a covenant with thee, saith the Lord God. Who says so? Saith the Lord God. And thou became mine. Then I washed thee with water. I thoroughly washed away thy blood. I anointed thee with oil. I clothed thee also with abroided work. Shod thee with a badger skin. I girded thee about with fine linen and covered thee with silk.

This is talking about the blessings we have in Christ. Clothed with his righteousness. Decked also with ornaments and bracelets upon thy hands. and a chain upon thy neck, I put a jewel on your forehead, and earrings in thine ear, and a beautiful crown on thy head. Thou wast exceeding beautiful, thou did prosper into a kingdom." Verse 13.

Oh, He's looked upon us and He's blessed us with all spiritual blessings in the heavenlies, in the Lord Jesus Christ. Now in closing, let's look at these three things. All those things have my hand made, all those things have been said to the Lord, but to this man will I look. It's a look of love, a look of favor, a look of pleasure, even to him that is poor, number one. Secondly, a contrite spirit, humble spirit, and those that reverence his word, those that tremble at his word. Now those three things, poor, contrite, and those that tremble.

Does that describe me? Does that describe you? Is this my condition? Do you fit the character of the promise? The Lord is going to look upon with favor those whom he describes here. Are we poor? Believers are. Our Lord said, blessed are the poor in spirit. Theirs is the kingdom of God. Now this is not talking about lack of material wealth.

This is talking about poverty of spirit. This is talking about a bankrupt sinner on the dunghill of total depravity, having nothing in us to recommend us to God. Have nothing, know nothing, am nothing. No righteousness, no life, dead in sin. Poor, bankrupt, poor.

That's the blessed man. The blessed man. No merit, totally dependent, totally depraved, totally dependent upon His mercy and grace, wretched, miserable, blind, and naked. That's a blessed man. If you see yourself as a poor, needy sinner, you're blessed. You're blessed.

As long as we are rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing, we'll never look to the Lord Jesus Christ for all things in salvation. Those who are poor and needy, he said, come to me and rest. I'll give you life. Only as we see ourselves as nothing before God will we turn unto the Lord as mercy beggars, and cry unto the Lord, be merciful to me, thee sinner. Only as we see ourselves as nothing, will we see the Lord Jesus Christ as everything. Christ is all and in all. Remember David said, Psalm 40, verse 17, I am poor and needy. He says this several times in the book of Psalms. I am poor and needy, yet the Lord thinks upon me. Thou art my help, my deliverer. Oh God, make no tarry. Don't tarry. I need help right now. Poor and needy. That's me. I'm poor. I'm spiritually bankrupt. Have nothing. Know nothing. I am what I am by the grace of God. Everything I have, He gave me. Everything I know, He taught me. Everything I will be is by His grace alone.

The second thing He said, the Lord will look on this man that is the contrite spirit. That's a broken spirit. That's a humble spirit. That's a convicted spirit. That's one who is convicted of a sin, righteousness, and judgment. This word contrite in our text can also be rendered lame. Lame. The Lord is nigh unto them of a broken heart. Save us, just as we have a contrite spirit. This word here can also be rendered, contrite means lame. Lame. Lame. It reminded me of this story.

You remember Mephibosheth was lame on both his feet? When the king, David, got to the throne and said, go get Mephibosheth and bring him. He couldn't walk, he was crippled on both legs. But because of that covenant that David made with Jonathan, Mephibosheth was Jonathan's son. He said, go get him, bring him before the throne.

Bishop probably thought David's going to execute me, being of the house of Saul, King Saul. But he falls down before David and said, David, what is thy servant, such a dead dog as I am? And David said, I'm going to show you mercy. Listen to what he said. When Mephibosheth, the son of Jonathan, the son of Saul, was come to David, he fell on his face and did reverence. And David said, Mephibosheth. And he answered, behold, thy servant. And he bowed himself and said, what is thy servant that thou shouldest look upon such a dead dog as I am? Poor and a dead dog, a contrite spirit.

Again, do we fit that character of the promise? Are we lame before God? Are we a crippled sinner before God, unable to take a step to satisfy God's holy law, dead in trespasses and sins, unable to believe, unable to repent, unable to come to the Lord? No ability.

No man can come to me except the Father which sent me. Draw him, and I'll raise him up at the last day. They shall all be taught of God. Those who have heard and learned of the Father, they come to Christ. Are we convicted and convinced in our heart that if the Lord sent me to hell, He'd be doing the right thing. That's what I deserve. The wage of sin is death. David said, against thee and thee only have I sinned and done this evil in thy sight. And David said, if you send me to hell, that's exactly what I deserve. And I do too.

But the good news of the gospel is the Lord Jesus Christ came to save sinners. Remember, turn back a few pages, Isaiah 61. You remember this? We had this not too long ago, Isaiah 61 verse 1. The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord has anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, the opening of the prison to them that are bound, to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all that mourn, to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, to oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called the trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified. To this man will I look, those who are poor, meek, lowly, to those who are contrite, humbled. And then lastly, those that tremble, tremble at my word. Reverence is word. Do we fit that character of the promise?

What is your attitude toward the word of God? Do you read it as such? Do you receive it as such? Do you receive it as the final word of authority of Almighty God on all matters of salvation? It's not what I think or what he thinks or what the preacher thinks, what does God say? What does God say? Do you have an eager desire to hear the word of the Lord? To be obedient unto the word of the Lord?

If you do, you're a blessed, blessed sinner. You remember from our study in Matthew, the Lord said, blessed are your eyes, for they see. Your ears, for they hear. And you see those things fulfilled which only the prophets wrote about. That's a blessed man.

Believers do tremble in reverence and receive his word. They bow in submission to the word of God, believing God as he revealed in the word. Faith comes by hearing. hearing by the Word of the Lord. Believers desire the sincere milk of the Word that we might grow thereby, don't we? We tremble in reverence and worship Him who is the Word. Christ is the Word, is He not? We tremble at, we reverence the Word of God written because the Word of God written tells us about the living word, the Lord Jesus Christ. We believe it to be the word of God.

We receive it as such because the power of his word is quick and powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword because of the blessing contained in the word, the promises, all the precious promises of God given in his word. Every one of them is true and eternal and shall come to pass. David said this in Psalm 119, How sweet are thy words unto my taste, yea, sweeter than honey, sweeter than honey unto my mouth. For all those things hath my hand made, and all those things that I have been, saith the Lord, but to this man will I look. I look. even him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, that tremble at my word." We reverence God. We bow in submission to his will and reverence our great God.

The Lord Looks Upon His People In Mercy

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about God's mercy?

How do we know God's sovereignty is true?

Why is reverence for God's Word important?

What does it mean to be poor in spirit according to Scripture?

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The Lord Looks Upon His People In Mercy

Key Quotes

What does the Bible say about God's mercy?

How do we know God's sovereignty is true?

Why is reverence for God's Word important?

What does it mean to be poor in spirit according to Scripture?

Sermon Transcript

About Tom Harding

Comments

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