All right, let's turn our Bibles
to Isaiah chapter 47. The title of the message this
evening is How Do I Know? I think everyone here has heard
the gospel many times. How do I know that these things
are true? How do I know that Christ is
the Savior? How do I know that he will save
his people? How do I know he won't lose one
of them? That's the question I hope to answer this evening
from this chapter. Now we read this chapter 47 and
it's largely, it's a very dark chapter, isn't it? Speaking of
the destruction of Babylon. Now Babylon was a real country. They became a world power in
the ancient world, ruled most of the world, the known world.
And God tells us in his word why he raised Babylon up. He
raised them up. to use them to accomplish his
will. It was God's will to raise Babylon up and to use them to
correct his people Israel. That's why they were in captivity
in Babylon. It was correction for their idolatry. But it was also God's will in
time to deliver his people Israel from Babylon. And he would use
that deliverance from Babylon, crushing the power of Babylon
as a picture of Christ saving his people from their sins and
setting his people free from the power of false religion.
That's what Babylon represents. It represents false religion
and I'll show you that here in just one moment. Now God ultimately
destroyed the nation Babylon just like he said he would and
this is one of the prophecies of God destroying that nation
Babylon in Isaiah chapter 47. But now if all we see from this
chapter is the historical truth, God prophesied he would destroy
Babylon and then did, we missed it. If we would get a real blessing
from God's word, we always have to look for the spiritual application,
the application that shows us Christ. Well, where is Christ
in this passage? Like I told you, Babylon is a
picture of false religion. And the Lord Jesus Christ, our
Savior, is going to destroy the power of false religion over
his people. Look in Revelations chapter 17.
I want to show you this, that Babylon is a picture of false
religion. And Christ, our Savior, one day
is gonna completely destroy false religion. He's gonna wipe it
out forever. In Revelation 17, verse one, And there came one of the seven
angels, which had the seven vials, and talked with me, saying unto
me, Come hither, I will show unto thee the judgment of the
great whore that sitteth upon many waters, with whom the kings
of the earth have committed fornication, and the inhabitants of the earth
have been made drunk with wine of her fornications. So he carried
me away in the spirit into the wilderness, and I saw a woman
sit upon a scarlet-colored beast, full of names of blasphemy, having
seven heads and ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in
purple and scarlet color and decked with gold and precious
stones and pearls, having a golden cup in her hand full of abominations
and filthiness of her fornication. And upon her forehead was a name
written, Mystery Babylon, Babylon the Great, the mother of harlots
and abominations of the earth. Babylon, the Babylon the Great,
the mystery of Babylon is a picture of false religion. It was religious
people who put our Lord to death. It was religious people who killed
the harlots. You know, they all did that in
the name of their false religion. And I grant you, they act and
they look religious to the natural man, but God says that religion
is so wicked. He calls it the great mother
of harlots. It's a spiritual adultery. That's what Babylon represents.
And in our text, the Lord promises the destruction of Babylon, and
certainly that applies to that nation, but it applies to free
will religion. I'll make good on that in just
a moment, that that's what Babylon represents, man's free will religion. Now look back at verse one of
Isaiah, we got to 47, we got to look at these verses pertaining
to Babylon before we can understand the good news that's in this
chapter. He says, come down and sit in
the dust, O virgin daughter of Babylon. Sit on the ground. There's
no throne, O daughter of the Chaldeans, for thou shalt no
more be called tender and delicate. You know, the Lord calls those
in free will religion, he calls them a virgin daughter. Not because
that's what they are, but because that's what they think they are.
They think that they have made themselves pure and chaste by
what they do, by their actions of religion. And people in free
will religion really believe that. They really believe that
by their works, by their decision, by things that they've done,
they've made themselves pure and chaste. They've made themselves
a virgin daughter. But the Lord tells them, You
go over there and sit in the dust. You're going to be brought
low. He's going to make them sit in
the dust and he's going to reveal them for what they are. They're
not a chaste daughter sitting on a virgin, sitting on a throne.
They're sitting in the dust because their works have not made them
pure and chaste. And when the Lord reveals them
for what they are, nobody's going to call them tender and delicate
anymore. Nobody's going to call them this
righteous, you know, holy, religious person. They've been revealed
for what they are. They'll be brought low to sit in the dust.
In verse two, he says, take the millstones and grind meal, uncover
thy locks, make bare the leg, uncover the thigh, pass over
the rivers. Now this is speaking of the work
of a slave. Grinding meal was the work of
a slave. And he's talking here about doing
that work in embarrassment. And that's what everyone in free
will religion is. They're a slave to that religion.
They saved themselves, or they obtained their salvation by their
free will decision, didn't they? Well, then they've got to keep
serving. They've got to keep it up. If you gain it by your
free will decision, you could lose it by your free will decision,
too. They're a slave to it. They've got to keep it up. They've
got to keep up their righteousness. They've got to maintain their
salvation. And God's going to reveal that work as being done
as the work of a slave. That's not the work of a son.
That's the work of a slave in shame. Their shame will be uncovered
because it's going to be made manifest one day. They've not
done enough. Verse three, thy nakedness shall
be uncovered. Yea, thy shame shall be seen.
I will take vengeance and I will not meet thee as a man. Now,
one day, everyone who's in this free will religion, they're going
to be ashamed in the day of judgment. They're going to be ashamed because
their works haven't produced a righteousness that will cover
them. that won't cover their nakedness before God. And the
Lord said, he's going to take vengeance on everyone without
a covering, without perfect righteousness. Verse five, he says, sit down
silent and get thee into darkness. Oh, daughter of the Chaldeans,
for thou should no more be called the lady of kingdoms. Everyone
in free will religion is going to be sent to eternal darkness. The Lord called it outer darkness,
where it was weeping and gnashing of teeth. And you know, this
is going to be a surprise to them. When the Lord says, depart
from me, I never knew you. That's going to be a great shock
to them because they really do think they've made themselves
this chase lady that the Lord will accept. Look here at verse
seven. And thou saidest, I shall be
a lady forever. So thou does not lay these things
to thy heart, neither just remember the latter in thereof. They really
think that there'll be this lady, this respected lady, the bride
of Christ forever. And you know, the Lord let these
people live on his earth. This is what they thought in
rebellion to him, but he let them live on his earth and he
does it today too, doesn't he? Free will religion is rampant
today, there has been. And the Lord lets them live.
He lets them prosper. monetarily and earthly, physically
speaking, while they're doing it because he's using them to
accomplish his purpose. They're not accomplishing their
purpose. They're accomplishing the purpose of the Lord. Look
here at verse six. This is why they're in the position
that they're in. I was wroth with my people. I've
polluted mine inheritance and I've given them into thy hand.
Now, what'd you do with them when I gave them into your hand?
I'll just show them no mercy. Upon the ancient hast thou very
heavily laid thy yoke upon them. You laid this heavy yoke even
upon the old, when you ought to be lightening their burden.
See, the Lord used Babylon to correct his people history. And
the Lord uses things, people, situations on earth today to
accomplish the same thing, to correct his people. And none
of us like that, do we? None of us like to be corrected.
Look at Psalm 73. But you know, we don't like to
be corrected, but God corrects his people all the time. And
you know he never corrects those in false religion. Never. Those
who are not his people, he never corrects them. And in our heart,
the believer struggles with that. There's something in us, we might
know enough not to say it out loud, but inside we think, that
just doesn't seem right, that God corrects his children, and
these who are in rebellion, he never corrects them. David struggled
with that in Psalm 73. Truly God is good to Israel,
even to such are as of a clean heart. But as for me, my feet
were almost gone, my steps had well nigh slipped. For I was
envious at the foolish when I saw the prosperity of the wicked.
For there are no bands in their death, but their strength is
firm. They're not in trouble as other men, Neither are they
plagued like other men. Therefore pride compasseth them
about as a chain. Violence covereth them as a garment.
Their eyes stand out with fatness. They have more than a heart could
wish. They are corrupt and speak wickedly concerning oppression.
They speak loftily. They set their mouth against
the heaven and their tongue walketh through the earth. Therefore
his people return hither. And waters of a full cup are
run out to them. And they say, How doth God know?
And is their knowledge in the most high? Behold, these are
the ungodly who prosper in the world. They increase in riches.
Verily, David's wonderness, if I cleanse my heart in vain and
wash my hands in innocency, for all the day long have I been
plagued, I've been chastened every morning. And if I say I'll
speak thus, behold, I should offend against the generation
of thy children. And when I thought to know this,
it was too painful for me. David struggled with this. Why
are the wicked prospering? Why do they just keep getting
more and more and more and more? What is going on? And he's right. God never does correct those
in free will religion. And so you know what that makes
them think? They think what I'm doing is pleasing the Lord. That's
why he doesn't correct me. That's what they think. But look
at Hebrews chapter 12. The reality of the situation
is it's the exact opposite of that. It's not God doesn't chasten
them because he loves them. He doesn't chasten them because
he doesn't love them. Hebrews 12 verse five. And you
have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto
children. My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord, nor
faint when thou art rebuked of him. For whom the Lord loveth,
He chasteneth and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If you
endure chastening, God's dealing with you as with sons. For what
son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if you be without chastisement,
if the father of God never does correct you, whereof all are
partakers, all his children are partakers, then are you bastards
and you're not sons. See, if those who don't, the
father never corrects us because they're not his children. But
when He doesn't correct them, they think, well, you know, God's
pleased with me. And even when God uses them to
chasten and correct His people, they don't show mercy. They just
lord it over God's people. They just keep pouring it on.
And all the while they're doing it, they think God's pleased
with them. But look at Matthew chapter 18. See, no matter whatever
you look at, what they think, It's wrong, it's just whatever
the natural man thinks, the truth of the situation is 180 degrees
opposite of what we think. Look here at Matthew 18 verse
six. But whoso shall fend one of these
little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that
a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned
in the depth of the sea. Woe unto the world because of
offenses. For it must needs be that offenses come. Now these
things have to happen, but woe to that man by whom the offense
cometh. God's not pleased with them. That's what he calls out Babylon
for you. See, you didn't show my people mercy. You laid a heavy
yoke upon the old and the elderly and the weak. But you know, that's
what people in free will religion do. They're the meanest people
you know. Everybody who's in free will religion trusts this. They trust that they are pleasing
God. That God's pleased with them
because they decided to accept Jesus. They decided to walk the
Christian life and all these things. And that's what they
think. Look at verse eight in our text.
Back to Isaiah 47. Therefore hear now this, thou
that art given to pleasures, that dwellest carelessly, that
sayeth in thine heart, I am and none else beside me. I shall
not sit as a widow, neither shall I know the loss of children.
You see what they say here? I am and none else beside me. Does that sound familiar? Did
we just look at that a week or two ago? God said, I am and there's
none beside me. I'm God and there's none else.
You know what they're saying here? I'm God. I'm God. Which is the natural thing. If
free will religion, whoever it is that decides the matter of
salvation, that's who's God. Well, if you decide by your free
will decision, then you're God. I mean, that's what they're saying.
And they think, because I've made this decision, I've done
all these things, I've pleased God, He won't destroy me. When
the overflowing scourge of God's wrath comes through, it won't
come to me. It won't come to me. But look what God says in
verse nine. But these two things shall come
to thee in a moment, in one day, the loss of children and widowhood. They shall come upon thee in
their perfection for the multitude of thy sorceries and for the
great abundance of thine enchantments. Now God says he's gonna judge
and they will be childless and a widow in one day, he says.
Now we have to look at this in a spiritual light. It's not just
that God's gonna come through and kill all the men and kill
all the children. God's talking to Babylon. Picture a free will
religion. He says you'll be childless.
Free will religion cannot produce life. A man's free will can never
produce a new birth and never produce spiritual life. And he
says those who are in free will religion will be widows. They're
going to be left with no husband. And we looked at this Sunday
morning issue. My man, my husband, she's not
going to have a husband because their free will cannot give them
union with Christ. Only Christ in his sovereignty
can do that. So they're left with no husband,
no provider, no protector, and they'll be destroyed. Verse 11.
Therefore, so evil come upon thee. Thou shalt not know from
whence it riseth, and mischief shall fall upon thee. Thou shalt
not be able to put it off, and desolation shall come upon thee
suddenly, which thou shalt not know. Now, the Lord tells those
in their free will, you stand in it. You stand in it. You stand,
and that's what you say in your heart, and all this evil is gonna
come upon you, and he's gonna destroy him for it. Look at verse
12. He says, stand now with thine
enchantments and the multitude of thy sorceries, whereon thou
hast labored from thy youth. If so be thou shall be able to
profit. If so be thou mayest prevail. He says, you stand in
it. You've stood in this and you've
worked in it from your youth. You've worked in it. Oh, I was
baptized when I was eight years old. I've been working and laboring
ever since. That's the labor produced from
your free will. God says, work at it all you
want, but you won't prevail. Verse 13, he says, thou are weary
to the multitude of thy councils. Let now the astrologers, the
stargazers, the monthly prognosticators stand up and save thee from these
things that shall come upon thee. Do you think anybody would read
that one verse right there and take all this horoscopes and
astrology and stuff completely out of the newspaper, wouldn't
you? These monthly prognosticators, you know, based on Gates of the
Stars, this is what's going to happen in your life this month. God says, that's no profit. There's
no profit in that. He says, behold, verse 14, they
should be a stubble. The fire shall burn them. They
should not deliver themselves from the power of the flame.
There should not be a coal to warm at and a fire to sit before
it. Thus shall they be brought, thus shall they be unto thee
with whom thou hast labored, even thy merchants from thy youth.
They shall wander every one to his quarter, and none shall save
thee. The Lord tells these in their
free will religion, you stand with your false prophets. And
you notice what he calls their false prophets? They're merchants. They're making merchandise of
men's souls. You stand with them. They won't
be able to help you. They're going to be destroyed.
And so they certainly aren't going to be able to help you.
All they are, they're just going to be stubble. They're going
to be kindling before God's, His wrath and fiery wrath. They're
just going to be destroyed. And they're not going to be able
to save you. Now, all that's a very serious, sobering warning,
isn't it? God's coming judgment against
sin is real. And the sin that he is describing
here that makes him the most angry is not all these things
we think of out in the world as filthiness. It's religion,
false religion. What a sobering thought how God's
going to destroy that. Now, that's the backdrop of this
chapter. Now let me ask you a couple of
questions. God's promised that's going to happen, the Babylon
false religion. How do I know that's really going
to happen? How do I know that? How does a believer know the
unrighteous are going to be destroyed in that wrath, but the believer
will be saved from the wrath to come? So here's my, I have
three questions. Number one, how does a believer
know that Christ has saved us from God's wrath against our
sin? How do I know that? Because of the name he calls
himself. Verse four, His name is our Redeemer. As for our Redeemer,
the Lord of hosts is His name, the Holy One of Israel. How does
a believer know Christ has saved us from God's wrath against our
sin? Because we have a Redeemer. And we must have a Redeemer.
Because God's elect are born, just as lost in sin as anybody
else. We've got the same nature of
Adam as everybody else. And God's wrath must be poured
out on our sin. God's justice must be satisfied
against our sin. My sin and your sin. God's justice
must be satisfied. But we read in Scripture, God
has determined to have mercy on His people, Hattie. Well,
how can God do both? How can He satisfy His justice
and at the same time have mercy on His people? Well, it's through
the substitute. through the Lord Jesus Christ,
the Redeemer of God's people. Christ, our Redeemer, paid the
price of the sin of his people by taking their place. The Father
made him to be sin for his people, and he poured out all of his
wrath against that sin upon his son. And now justice is satisfied. God's wrath against the sin of
His elect has already been poured out. There's none left for you
if Christ died for you because He poured it out on your substitute.
The blood of Christ our Redeemer paid the sin debt in full. And now, God can still be holy,
He can still be just, and show mercy to His elect because His
justice is satisfied in the substitute, our Redeemer. How do I know Christ didn't do
that for everyone? How do I know that Christ didn't die for everyone?
He's not trying to save everybody who will accept him. How do I
know that he definitely will destroy those in free will religion?
How do I know that? Because of the word redeemer.
This word redeemer is kinsman redeemer. Now the law of the
kinsman only allowed the kinsman to redeem a near relative. The
kinsman just couldn't go redeem everybody. It had to be near
kin. Well, Christ didn't die for everybody.
He's the kinsman redeemer. He didn't die to give everybody
a chance to be set free. Christ died for his elect. He
died to redeem his near kin. And brother, they're redeemed. The price is paid. but everyone
outside of Christ. If Christ didn't pay your debt,
you got a debt you can't pay. You're gonna have to bear the
punishment for your sin yourselves. Everyone outside of Christ will.
Well, okay. Then how can I know I won't be
destroyed forever? How can I know I won't be cast
off forever? Because Christ, our kinsman redeemer,
restores everything we lost in Adam. Remember back there in
verse nine, the Lord told those in free will religion, one day
you're going to be childless and a widow. Remember that? Part
of the kinsman redeemer, part of his job was to marry the widow
of that relative. So she wasn't a widow anymore.
Now she's got a husband. If Christ died for you, you're
not left without a husband. Christ is your husband. He has
betrothed himself to his people. So we're not widows. And then
the second thing the kinsman did was to raise up children
by his new wife, and he'd raise them up to his dead brother.
The Lord Jesus Christ, our kinsman redeemer, has married his bride.
It's a fruitful marriage. It produces spiritual life. And
we have spiritual life, eternal life, through union with Christ,
our kinsman redeemer. So we can never die. That's how
a believer knows Christ has saved us from God's wrath against our
sin. He's the kinsman redeemer. He's betrothed himself to us,
given us union with him, so we'll never die. Well, here's my second
question. How do I know Christ has the
power to save me? I mean, you know, this is a pretty
good doctrinal discussion, isn't it? You know, this one I've never
seen came to earth and he's got the power, born of a virgin,
he's got the power to save me. Well, if he's God, I can understand
he's got the right to save me. I understand that. But how do
I know he's got the ability to put my sin away? I read in scripture,
I understand that the Lord Jesus Christ fully intends to save
his people from their sins. He fully intends to be their
Redeemer. But how do I know He can do it?
I mean, putting away sin's a tall order. How do I know He can do
it? Because our Redeemer has a name.
He says here in verse four, the Lord of hosts is His name. Now, Almighty God is identified
as the Lord of hosts 245 times in Scripture. Now, you know what
that tells me? The Lord of hosts is the almighty. He has the power to do whatever
it is that he wills to do. He's the Lord of hosts. The Lord
of hosts is the Lord of an innumerable host. He will save that host
because he's got, and he'll have them all with him in glory because
he got the power to save them. He's got the power to affectionately
call them and he's got the power to keep them. Now look at Psalm
24. We won't look at all 245 times
this Lord of Hosts is mentioned, but I want to look at two of
them. Because it's a comfort for us to know this. The Lord
of Hosts has unquestioned power to save His people. Psalm 24,
verse 7. Lift up your heads, O ye gates,
and be lift up, ye everlasting doors, and the King of glory
shall come in. Who is this King of Glory? He's
the Lord, strong and mighty, the Lord mighty in battle. Lift
up your heads, O ye gates, even lift them up, ye everlasting
doors, and the King of Glory shall come in. Well now, who
is this King of Glory? Who's the one that's got all
glory and power and sits on the throne? The Lord of hosts. He
is the king of glory. The Lord of hosts is king. He has the power to save his
people. He's coming into his kingdom
with an innumerable host. He's the Lord of hosts. Now look
at Isaiah chapter six. Isaiah six, verse one. In the year that King Uzziah
died, I saw also the Lord sitting upon a throne, high and lifted
up, and his train filled the temple. Above it stood the seraphims. Each one had six wings. With
twain he covered his face, with twain he covered his feet, and
with twain he did fly. And one cried unto another and
said, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth
is full of his glory. And the post of the door moved
at the voice of him that cried. And the house was filled with
smoke. Then said I, woe is me, I am undone, because I am a man
of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean
lips. For mine eyes have seen the King, the Lord of hosts."
The Lord of hosts is the Almighty. He sits on His throne. The Lord of hosts has the power
to accomplish his will. And our Redeemer, the Lord of
hosts, the sovereign of heaven and earth, has willed to save
his people. And he's going to do it because
he's the Lord of hosts. That's how I know. Well, how
do I know the Lord will destroy everyone in free will religion?
How do I know they won't build a weasel out of this thing some
way? Because the Lord of hosts is king. None can stay his hand. None can escape him. None can
stop his will. And it is his will to destroy
those outside of Christ. That's how I know he's the Lord
of hosts. But here's my last question.
How do I know the Lord will do what he said he'd do? Now, I
understand he's got the right to say he's got the right to
pass by. That's his right. I understand
he's got the power to save and the power to destroy. That's
not very difficult to understand. But how do I know he'll do what
he said he'd do? Well, it's because of his character. Now, suppose
you worked with someone. Aaron, if you worked with someone,
this would drive you crazy. You worked with somebody and
they'd tell you, Aaron, I'm going to get this job done at such and such a time.
And it wasn't done. wasn't done on time, and when
they got it done, it wasn't right. And after four or five times
of doing that, you'd be aggravated. I mean, that's just not the way
you want to operate. It wouldn't take long for you
to realize this fellow's got a character flaw. He will not
do what he says he's going to do. There's just something wrong
with this guy. Before long, you just know because of his character,
I can't trust him. Who's promising here? Who's speaking
here? We can trust the Lord to do exactly
what He said He'll do because of His character. His character
is revealed in His name. What's the last name here in
verse four that identifies our Redeemer? The Holy One of Israel. Now, how do I know the Holy One
of Israel certainly will damn everyone in false religion? How
do I know that? Because He's the Holy One of
Israel. He can only accept perfect holiness. And holiness is something
no son of Adam can ever produce. So if we insist on coming to
God in our own obedience, through our own religious activity, those
things that we think make us this dainty lady, we're gonna
be damned. Because the Holy One of Israel
will see us as we are. Unholy in ourselves. And He must
destroy them. All of God's elect, every believer
born a son of Adam. How do I know the Lord will save
me? How do I know he will save his people? Because of his character. He's the Holy One of Israel.
There are two things that name tells me. First one is this.
I know the one whose name is the Holy One of Israel will keep
his word. I know he will. If the Holy One
said, I'll finish the job, He's gonna finish it. Because Wayne,
the Holy One can't lie. I know He'll finish it. And more than that, when the
Holy One finishes the job, it is finished perfectly. And we
have recorded in God's Word, so we know this forever, the
Savior from the cross cried, the Holy One of Israel cried,
It is finished. And Cecil, I know the job of
salvation is finished perfectly because the Holy One finished
it, the Holy One of Israel. Second, from that name, I know
this. I know the Lord Jesus Christ will save his people from their
sins. I know He'll make them righteous. I know He will. I
understand I'm born in sin. I'm born in unrighteousness and
I'll never do one righteous thing. I understand that. But the Holy
One of Israel is going to make me righteous. The Lord Jesus
Christ makes His people righteous in Him because His obedience
is my obedience. What He did, I did. through union
with Him. And if I have union with the
Holy One, I have to be holy because He's the Holy One of Israel. And just, I should have probably
said this first, but just in case you have any doubt, the
Holy One of Israel is only one person. It's the Lord Jesus Christ. In Luke chapter four, there's
the man in the synagogue who had the unclean spirit. You know
what that unclean spirit called our Lord Jesus? He said, I know
you, you're the holy one of God. This is the Lord Jesus Christ
we're talking about. And the miracle of salvation
is that the father made the holy one of Israel to be sin for his
people. And the blood of that holy one
washed away the sin of his people and made them white as snow.
Look back at Psalm 16. Psalm 16 verse nine. Therefore, my heart is glad and
my glory rejoices. My flesh also should rest in
hope for that will not leave my soul in hell. Neither will
thou suffer thine holy one to see corruption. Why didn't the
body of our savior see corruption when it was in the tomb? After
four days, Lazarus stank. His body had corrupted so much. After three days, why didn't
the Holy One see corruption? Because that sin that was laid
on Him is gone. There's nothing to corrupt Him.
He's the Holy One of Israel. And He made all His people just
like Him, perfectly holy and righteous. One last scripture,
Isaiah 55. Now the Holy One of Israel He's
made an end of the sin of His people. This is how I know, how
I know He will save His people from their sin. He's got the
power to do it. He's got the character to do
it. Well, what should my response be to that? What should your
response be to that? Right now, at this moment, what
should your response be to that? We should beg Him for mercy.
Look at Isaiah 55 verse 4. Behold, I have given him for
a witness to the people, a leader and commander to the people.
Behold, thou shalt call a nation that thou knowest not and nations
that knew not thee. They shall run unto thee because
of the Lord thy God and for the Holy One of Israel, for he hath
glorified thee. Now seek ye the Lord while he
may be found. Call ye upon him while he's near. Let the wicked forsake his way
and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord
and he'll have mercy upon him, and to our God, for he will abundantly
pardon. What should my response be to
seeing the Holy One of Israel? To run to Him and beg Him for
mercy. He will abundantly pardon, because
the power of His blood to wash away our sin, He took away everything
that made God angry, He will abundantly pardon in the Holy
One of Israel. Call on Him, run to Him, ask
Him for mercy. He's the Holy One of Israel. I hope that'll be a blessing
to you. Let's bow in prayer. Our Father, how we thank You
for Your Word. How we thank You that in Your
Word, You so clearly reveal to us our Lord Jesus Christ. and
father of all for which we have to be thankful. We have so much
to be thankful for how we thank you for the Lord Jesus Christ
that you sent your son to be the redeemer of his people. You
made him the kinsman redeemer when you made him flesh, made
him our near kin so he could redeem your people from our sin.
that the Lord Jesus Christ is God. He is the Lord of hosts. He has the power to redeem. And
he is the Holy One of Israel. He will do what he promised to
do. He will make his people holy and righteous in him. Father, we're thankful. We pray
you bless your word to our hearts. We pray that you bless your word
to your glory and that you'd cause us, use your word to cause
us to seek the Lord our God, to seek mercy and forgiveness
from him. For it's in the precious name
of our Lord Jesus Christ we pray and give thanks. Amen. I hope
you all have just an absolutely merry, merry Christmas. Enjoy
family time.