Isaiah 21 in but two verses. Verse 11 and verse 12. This word, the burden, is used
very frequently throughout The Old Testament, verse 1, the burden
of the desert of the sea, the burden of the word of the Lord
is also used frequently. So this is what the burden of
Dumah, he called to me out of Seir, watchman, what of the night? A second time, watchman, what
of the night? And the watchman said, the morning
comes, and also the night. If you will inquire, inquire
ye. Return, come. Just very, very short. I looked to see if Mr. Spurgeon
had preached on this. He didn't at all, so I had no
help there. But it's just something about
this text that grabbed me earlier in the week. So I went back to
it, and I hope the Lord has given me a message for us this morning. The burden or the prophecy, as
it's also told or spoken of, regarding this place, Dumaa,
and this people, its people, specifically for them. Well,
we need to see who it's talking to and the answer and the responses
that were made. And then the last statement. By whom was it received? Well,
it's by Isaiah. He's the watchman that is being
spoken to here. There's an inquiry made by some
person out of Seir. Verse 11, the burden of Duma. He called out to me, who's me,
the watchman, Isaiah, out of this place here, it's a mountainous
area. Watchman, here's the question,
watchman, what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?
So then we have the response of Isaiah in verse 12. But what we have here, what I
see here is an honest inquiry. Some commentators said that the
question was asked in mockery. The Israelites are in captivity
and this was asked by a Gentile out of the place called Seir
in the land of Duma. But whatever case it is, it's
an honest inquiry. It's an honest inquiry. I want
to draw from this this person's inquiry and specifically notice
the prophet or the watchman's answer. So I just have two points,
basically two points, the inquiry and the answer. The inquiry,
he calls out two times and he's asking what of the night or what
he's asking is regarding the times and the season. And this
is, this could be universal. This could be 2024. in Jackson, Missouri. This could
be 2024 in Lexington, Kentucky. Watchman, preacher, teacher,
what of the night? My desire for all of us here
this morning, including myself, is for someone, anyone, man,
woman, boy or girl, by the Holy Spirit penetration, to ask such
an inquiry, to ask and to look for some answers. Or simply,
may God prick our hearts to examine the issues of God, Christ, grace,
and salvation. Salvation. Oh, to be tugged in
the heart and conscience regarding these two things, the night,
which the word here in Hebrew is calamity. That's our sin. Oh, we are sinners. our sin,
our inabilities, and the morning. Well, guess who that is? That's
the son of righteousness, that's Christ. The word is actually
dawn, and he's the day spring, the dawn. So this is a simple,
simple message. But he asked twice, preacher,
watchman, what of the night? Oh, may God wake us out of our
slumber, whether you're a believer, or you've never trusted in Christ.
We get the tendency to, this is routine, come to church, do
our thing, our mind is thinking about other things going on that
we gotta do today. Don't, don't do that. I do that,
I tell myself, don't do that. Sufficient is the evil thereof
for tomorrow. You may not live tomorrow. Calamity. What of the night? The word is calamity. Turn to
Isaiah 59. Isaiah 59 and verse 2. But your iniquities, says this
the prophet, Isaiah, same prophet, have separated between you and
your God and your sins have hid, hid his face from you. that he
will not hear. Iniquities, sins, transgressions,
these are all against God. They're all against God. Even
a believer, when we sin, we sin against knowledge, which is very,
this is horrible. We sin against the Holy Spirit.
We sin against God and Christ, but he's faithful and just to
forgive us. Just ask, you know, Lord, I confess
my sins. But he's hit his face. That's
how bad our sins are. We can't approach him. We don't
want to approach Him. This God with whom we have to
do, whether we acknowledge it or not, we will have to meet
God either in judgment or hopefully in mercy. What of the night? We do what we do because of what
we are. That's why we do the things. Turn a few pages over
to Isaiah 64 verses 6 and 7. In case we think, well, I've
done a few good things. I'm not as bad as my neighbor
or whatever. Isaiah 64, 6. But we all, that's
pretty well universal, as an unclean thing, that all our righteousnesses
are as filthy rags, the best that we can do. The very best. Filthy rags, and I've told you
what that means in the Hebrew, and it's not a pleasant word.
We all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities like the wind
have taken us away. And there is none that call upon
thy name, that stirs up himself, none to take hold of thee. For thou has hid thy face from
us, there it is again, and has consumed us because of our iniquities. That's the big word for sin,
because of our sin. Ephesians 2 says we are born
in trespasses and sins. John 6, we have no ability to
make one move Godward. Can a dead man move? Can a dead
man do anything, let alone spiritually dead in the eyes of God? Isaiah
55, which Bruce preached last Wednesday, we have no thoughts,
no correct thoughts regarding grace, God, Christ, or salvation. That's us. That's the night.
What of the night? Romans chapter, I believe it's
13. Yes, Romans 13 and verse 11,
listen to this. This is specifically, this is
written in Romans 1 to the saints. Let me see here. To all that
be in Rome, beloved of God, called to be saints. So this is addressed
to the saints, but it could be, apply to unbelievers. But look
at Romans 13 verse 11, knowing the time that now it is high
time to awake out of sleep for now is our salvation nearer than
when we believed. So whether you're a professor,
a believer, or know nothing of the grace of God, wake up. Wake up. I pray to find, Henry
made a comment years ago. He said, I'll answer any honest
inquiry. But if people just want to argue
religion, doctrine, just talk about stuff, he says, I'm not
interested. And a lot of people would call
him rude. And why isn't he, you know, he didn't suffer fools
lightly. That was the way he was. Scott
Richardson didn't either. Jack Shanks, Maurice Montgomery,
I could go on. And we shouldn't. Too much. Well, when we're speaking of
the gospel, I wish one of our children, I wish my child, my
in-laws would say, Drew, what of the night? What of the night? This is a good thing to inquire
at the foot of the cross and to ask. What happened at Calvary? Well, I'll tell you, the clouds
covered the whole earth. Darkness descended. That was
the night. And for the sins of his people
was Christ smitten. That's what happened at Calvary.
Because only Christ could satisfy every jot and tittle against
us. And we have a lot against us. If we started today, by the
time we reach tomorrow, we would be inundated with the stench
of our sin. Another good question, is there
any escape from the wrath to come? Is there any balm, says
the old prophet in Gilead? Can we that are born unclean
be washed whiter than snow? How can God be both just and
yet justify? And Job says, if there any messenger
with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand to show unto
man Christ or his uprightness, Turn to Acts chapter 8. Here's
a watchman. His name is Philip. Acts chapter 8 starting in verse
26. Lovely story. And the angel of
the Lord spake unto Philip, saying, Arise, and go to the south unto
the way that goeth down from Jerusalem unto Gaza, which is
desert. And he arose, and went, and behold,
a man of Ethiopia, a eunuch of great authority, under Candace,
Queen of Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure
and had come to Jerusalem for the worship. He didn't know what,
but he was out of habit, perhaps, out of respect, was returning
and sitting in his chariot and was reading Isaiah the prophet.
Then the spirit said to Philip, go near and join thyself to this
chariot. And Philip ran thither to him
and heard him read The prophet Isaiah and said, he said unto
the Ethiopian, understand what you read? And the Ethiopian said,
how can I accept a watchman? How can I accept some man should
guide me? And he desired Philip that he
would come up and sit with him. There's not a lot of that going
on. We're talking about too much frivolous stuff. The weather
and this and that. No, when somebody inquires of
us, what of the night? Oh, God give us, stir us up to
speak the truth, just to tell them of Christ. And the place of the scriptures,
which the Ethiopian read was this, he was led as a sheep to
the slaughter and like a lamb done before his ears, so he opened
out his mouth. In his humiliation, his judgment
had taken away, who shall declare generation for his life is taken
from the earth. And the eunuch asked Philip,
I pray thee, whom speaketh the prophet this, of himself or some
other man? What of the night? What of the
night? And Philip opened his mouth,
and it can be a woman, I'm not saying women preachers, but I'm
saying if the Lord has saved you, you can tell people, you
know, men are ordained to preach the gospel, but has he saved
you? tell others what he has done,
or invite them to church. Invite them to hear the gospel.
There's something, I will say this, I was thinking about this,
there's something very unique about the gospel preaching at least
so far in this country right now. I don't know what's gonna
happen tomorrow and the craziness going on, but most people will
come and they'll sit and they'll listen. But oh, to come and have
a question. Watchmen, What of the night? And he preached
from the same scripture and preached unto him particular redemption, depravity, I'm sure he did all
these things. We like to name them so we can
hang our hat on them. Preached unto him Jesus. And as they went their way, there
came a certain water, and the eunuch says, see, here's water.
What doth hinder me to be baptized? It's important. It's important. It is important indeed. Watchmen,
Philip, answer this eunuch of Ethiopia regarding Isaiah 53. Back to our text. Here's the
answer. That's the inquiry. Watchman,
what of the night? Watchman, what of the night?
Here's the inquiry. The watchman said, the morning
comes. May we be as this watchman, may
we be even as our brother Peter, when he said in 1 Peter 3 and
verse 15, But sanctify the Lord God in
your hearts and be ready always to give an answer to every man
that asks you a reason of the hope that is in you, not cocky,
not looking down at somebody, not browbeating, with meekness
and fear. With meekness and fear. And I
agree, I have the fear of man too. We all do, for the most
part. Let's not be like Moses. Well, I can't speak. Lord made
the tongue. He made the tongue. Or better
yet, may we be as our sovereign Redeemer. Look unto me and be
saved. Oh, surely as there is a night
and with it comes its various calamities and seasons and times,
there is promised the morning comes. The morning comes. We sing this hymn. The morning comes, we sing of
the rock of ages, that's the Lord Jesus Christ. Cleft for
me, let me hide myself in thee. Let the water and the blood from
thy wounded side which flowed. Be of sin the double cure, save
from wrath and make me pure. Could my tears forever flow?
Could my zeal no longer know? These for sin could not atone,
thou must save and thou alone. In my hand no price I bring,
simply to thy cross I cling. While I draw this fleeting breath,
when my eyes shall close in death, when I rise to worlds unknown
and behold thee on thy throne, rock of ages, cleft for me, let
me hide myself in thee. Morning, as I said here, is the
Hebrew word for dawn, the dawn. You remember back in Genesis
32, where there was a person who wrestled hard with the covenant
angel, which was Christ? I pray that we would wrestle
hard with Him. And He said, I've got to let
you go. Let me go. Dawn approaches. And
He said, I'm not going to let you go until you bless me. I'm
not going to let you go until you bless me. Don't be content. One old writer
said, don't be content with the gold dust. Wrestle. There's gold nuggets. There is nuggets. There is gold
nuggets in this book. Don't be content with, yep, got
that taken care of, check mark, and go on your way. No, dig,
dig, dig, and find the treasures of the Lord Jesus Christ and
Him crucified. It's all about Him. From one
place to the next, it's all about Him. The dawn is coming, the
daybreak, morning is coming. The gospel of the Lord Jesus
Christ is good news. He says in Psalm 30 verse 5,
for His anger endures but for a moment, the night, In his favor's
life, weeping may endure for a night, but joy, joy that is
singing comes in the morning. The morning does come. The morning
will come. Christ is our most precious hope,
our thought, our resource, and comfort. Yet he does say in our
text, the watchman says, the morning comes and also the night. Now those people that say once
you're saved, everything is going to be okay, they haven't read
the text. They don't know what the believer's
life is. Christ is indeed as precious, but he says the night.
That would be as in Philippians 1, not only is it given on behalf
of, for us by Christ to believe, but to suffer. And James, the present trials
and tribulations, they don't seem to be joyous. Or Acts chapter 14, you can turn
there if you want, regarding this and the night. But the night will never diminish
the day. It will never block out the day.
Acts chapter 14. and verse 21 and 22, and when
they had preached the gospel, there's the light, to that city,
and it taught many that returned again to Lystra, Iconium, and
Antioch, confirming the souls of the disciples and exhorting
them to continue in the faith, continue in the light. If you
believe the light, walk in the light. And we must, through much tribulation,
enter into the kingdom of God. There's the night. The gospel
is most certainly good news to those who have only seen the
night. It is light in a dark place. It is pure white and bright
illumination in a backward world. But don't dwell on the night.
Expect it. but rather gaze, stare, behold
the morning Christ in all His detailed glory. Grace, grace will come. Peace will come. Comfort will come. And remember,
this is, the wording is in Old Testament. The morning cometh. He came and He's gonna come again. And remember, our times, even
though afflictions, turmoils and trials, night time will come,
our times are in his hands and he's always for us. And I have
two more thoughts. Watchman has a question and I
have a question for myself and I have a question for you. He
has a question to this Gentile, one who is making this inquisition,
this inquiry. And he says, if you will inquire, keep on inquiring. Don't stop. Don't be like that good seed
that hit the stony ground and then, no. Keep coming to hear
the gospel. Keep availing yourself, as the
old writers would say, to the means of God's grace. Keep inquiring. Keep asking. Keep searching. Keep up this
inquisition. Let me read it to you. You don't need to turn to 1 Kings
18 and verse 21. And Elijah came unto the people
and said, How long do you halt between two opinions? If the
Lord be God, follow Him. If Baal, then follow him. If
the world is that important, go after the world. If the gospel is important, come
hear the gospel. Come worship with us. Set everything
aside. Don't halt between two opinions.
You can't straddle the fence. We cannot straddle the fence.
If you will inquire, if you will, keep on inquiring. What must
I do to be saved? Does God hear the cry of mercy? Is there anything too hard for
the Lord? Lord, ask Peter to save me lest
I perish. Inquire, inquire. It's a good
thing to be inquisitive. If you will inquire, I know we
get concerned about the people next to us and behind us in the
pew and our neighbors, but the question comes down to Me and
you. As Tim James says, when this
book is written, it's written to you specifically, not for
the other person. That's where we get in trouble
much. What think ye of Christ? Whose
son is he? Ask, if you will inquire, inquire. Ask and the scripture says it'll
be open. Seek and he says you'll find. And then he closes with the command,
return and come. Return would be repentance and
believe and come unto Christ and he shall give your weary
soul rest. Oh sinner, oh safe sinner, return
and come to Jesus Christ as you are. Don't fix yourself up. Don't
make yourself better. Don't do it. You can't. Completely
trust and rest in His righteousness. Bruce, would you close us please?