Isaiah chapter 26 and verse 1. In that day shall this song be
sung in the land of Judah. We have a strong city. Salvation
will God appoint for walls and bulwarks. Open ye the gates that
the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. thou
wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee,
because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever,
for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength, for he bringeth down
them that dwell on high. The lofty city he layeth it low,
he layeth it low even to the ground, he bringeth it even to
the dust. The foot shall tread it down,
even the feet of the poor, and the steps of the needy. The way
of the just is uprightness. Thou most upright dost weigh
the path of the just. Yea, in the way of thy judgments,
O Lord, have we waited for thee. The desire of our soul is to
thy name and to the remembrance of thee. With my soul have I
desired thee in the night, yea, with my spirit within me will
I seek thee early. For when thy judgments are in
the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.
Let favour be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness. In the land of uprightness will
he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. Lord, when thy hand is lifted
up, they will not see, but they shall see, and be ashamed for
their envy at the people. Yea, the fire of thine enemies
shall devour them. Lord, thou wilt ordain peace
for us, for thou also hast wrought all our works in us. O Lord our
God, other lords beside Thee have had dominion over us, but
by Thee only will we make mention of Thy name. They are dead, they
shall not live, they are deceased, they shall not rise. Therefore
hast Thou visited and destroyed them and made all their memory
to perish. Thou hast increased the nation,
O Lord. Thou hast increased the nation.
Thou art glorified. Thou hast removed it far unto
all the ends of the earth. Lord, in trouble have they visited
Thee. They poured out a prayer when
Thy chastening was upon them. Like as a woman with child but
draweth near the time of her delivery, is in pain and crieth
out in her pangs, so have we been in thy sight, O Lord. We
have been with child, we have been in pain, we have, as it
were, brought forth wind. We have not wrought any deliverance
in the earth, neither have the inhabitants of the world fallen. Thy dead men shall live. Together
with my dead body shall they arise. Awake and sing, ye that
dwell in dust, for thy dew is as the dew of herbs, and the
earth shall cast out the dead. Come, my people, enter thou into
thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee. Hide thyself, as
it were, for a little moment, until the indignation be overpassed. For behold, the Lord cometh out
of his place to punish the inhabitants of the earth for their iniquity. The earth also shall disclose
her blood and shall no more cover her slain. Amen. May the Lord bless to us this
reading from his word. I think it worth reminding ourselves
that the day that Isaiah repeatedly returns to in these chapters
is the gospel day in which we now live. When Isaiah speaks
about that day, In that day shall this song be sung in the land
of Judah. He's not thinking about a day
in the history of Israel, be it the day that they returned
from captivity or the day that they saw their enemies overthrown. He is looking forward to the
coming Messiah. He is seeing, as it were, with
spiritual insight and understanding. He is seeing by prophetic revelation
from God, the Gospel day, the coming of Christ, the coming
of the Messiah, and the accomplishments of that day. He is seeing the
day in which we now live. And knowing that Isaiah is relating
these prophecies to comfort and encourage the people of his own
day and the elect remnant of the generations that followed
Isaiah's prophecy. We must conclude that throughout
the history of the Old Testament, Many a saint was blessed by hearing
Isaiah's account of the days in which we now live. Those people
eagerly looked forward to these days in which we now live, and
they got their comfort from anticipating this Gospel day. I think there's
something significant here and I don't want us to lose this. As believers, we are prone to
grumble. We are often, perhaps too often,
pessimistic when we look at the world around about us. We gain
encouragement, do we not, when we come to the scriptures and
we see the emphasis in scriptures of looking away from ourself
and our own weakness and our own failures and looking to the
Lord. Well that same principle ought
to rule when we look around about us in the world, let us not be
preoccupied by looking around about us in the world. Let us
look to the Lord and look to his accomplishments because there
we find our optimism. There we find our confidence
and our encouragement. As believers, we are prone to
grumble that our days are full of trouble and beset with trial. and undoubtedly we have troubles
and we have trials, but all these things are relative. Maybe we
imagine that things have never been as bad as they are today. Well, let us be humble enough
to say that actually we don't know how bad things were for
most of the history of the world. We need to be careful. There have been times in the
history of the Lord's people that those very people found
blessing in anticipating the very days that we grumble about. Because they saw the things that
were accomplished in these days, despite all the bad things that
are happening. In this chapter we see that Isaiah
saw a city. Isaiah saw a city. Not a village, not even a town,
but a city. And he saw a nation entering
that city. He saw a strong city. He saw a city with walls and
with bulwarks. That means defensive walls. He
saw a city that was secure and defended. And we have no grounds
for discouragement. In Isaiah's days, the elect wondered
if the line of Christ might be destroyed. They wondered if the
Lord had changed his mind when they saw the nation of Israel
and the nation of Judah overwhelmed, exiled, taken into captivity,
literally destroyed before their eyes. They wondered if God had changed
his mind and that wickedness had thwarted God's purpose. And Isaiah came to them with
words of revelation and he said, no, the Lord has yet a remnant
people that he is preserving. So few, so small, that sometimes
they imagined that they were the only ones left in the whole
of the world. We know better than that. have
on record the successes of the Lord Jesus Christ. We have seen
the accomplishments of his grace. We have witnessed the ingathering
of the church and we have been part of it. Now I don't say that
we don't have any grounds for regret. We would like to love
the Lord more than we do. We would like to serve him better
than we do. We are concerned, truly, for
the things that we see around about us. We're concerned for
the preaching of the gospel. We're concerned about the spiritual
well-being of our family and our friends. We lament the hurt
and the grief caused by sin in the world that we see. We long
for the day when Christ will return. Nevertheless, we have no reason
to doubt that the Lord is on his throne. Isaiah encouraged
his age with a description of the victory that we see unfolding
before our eyes. And we dare not deny Isaiah's
words or imply by our grumbling that he was in some way misrepresenting
the age in which we live. We're blessed to live in Gospel
days and we live within the walls of the city that Isaiah saw. We stand on the bulwarks and
we watch as the Lord commands the gates to be held open a little
while longer. for those yet to be brought in
through the preaching of the gospel according to his covenant
purpose. We are living in the day of sovereign
grace. We are living in the day of the
sovereign grace gospel that Isaiah foresaw. We dwell in the city
where God is pleased to dwell among his people. and we have
felt the Lord's power in our own souls and we have seen it
in the lives of others. These things are not to be taken
for granted and they are not to be understated. Let us not neglect to thank the
Lord for granting this mercy to us. This chapter is full of
insights and revelations concerning the free grace gospel that is
being preached today and which we have heard and which has changed
our lives. Pharisees will always lean on
legal obedience to please God. We have learned better. Free
willers will always exhibit the pride of all fallen men and women. We have learned better. Isaiah knew, even then, all those
hundreds of years before the coming of Christ, Isaiah knew
because he wrote it in this chapter. What would be our experience
in this gospel age? And I've got five things that
I just want to quickly touch upon. This is going to be like
a quick hop, skip and a jump across the stepping stones of
a river. These are five things that the
Lord revealed to Isaiah, which he wrote down for the encouragement
of his age. which he foresaw being part and
parcel of our experience here in this Gospel day. Here's the
first one. Isaiah saw that there is righteousness
with God for Christ or in Christ for sinners. Isaiah saw that
there is righteousness with God in Christ for sinners. The Lord revealed to Isaiah a
righteous nation. This is what we hear. Open ye
the gates that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth
may enter in. Isaiah understood that there
would be a righteous nation. This song was revealed to Isaiah
by divine inspiration. And it is true that the extent
of grace to the Gentiles was not fully disclosed or understood
in the Old Testament, though we shall see in a few moments
that it was not altogether hidden. But here we learn, because the
Holy Spirit tells us, that there is in the sight of God such a
thing as a righteous nation, a people who are holy in the
eyes of God. are people who are holy in the
eyes of God. Now this cuts diametrically across
all that we know about ourselves and all that we know about this
world that we live in and all that we know about sin. About
the fall and about the state of natural man. Paul was clear
about original sin. He said in 1 Corinthians 15,
in Adam all die. All who are in Adam, that's us,
we die. All who are descended from him,
considered in him, joined to him, we all die. Furthermore,
we all have sinned personally and culpably and come short of
the glory or the holiness or the purity or the perfections
of God. And yet here we learn of a people
who are holy in God's eyes. Let us be clear, brother and
sister, this is not earned righteousness. This is imputed righteousness. It is justification by an act
of grace and mercy. The highest measure of holiness
ever given to man was the law of God. But, says Paul, by the
works of the law shall no flesh be justified. By the works of
the law shall no flesh be righteous in the sight of God. Justification
with God is an act of grace So that this righteous nation is
righteous by grace, not by works, not by personal obedience. But
this is a gift from God. This flows from His goodness.
It is granted at His instigation. It is sovereign grace. And it is imputed to whomsoever
He will. We've already said that this
city is typical of the church of Jesus Christ. That's what
Newton was writing about in that hymn, Glorious Things of Thee
are Spoken, Zion City of Our God. He was speaking about the
church. He was speaking about the church
principally in the gospel age. And we've already said that this
city is typical of the church. But I want you to notice something.
that Isaiah here says, the nation is righteous before it enters
the church. Look at what he says in verse
two. Open ye the gates, that is the gates of the church, that
the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. This
nation was righteous before it entered into the church. This
tells us that God's elect are justified and made righteous
before ever they are converted and brought into the church. Our conversion doesn't make us
righteous before God. Our entrance into the church
doesn't make us righteous before God. The elect of God are righteous
in God's sight before the effect of the atonement is revealed
in our lives. and before we are joined to the
body of believers. Open ye the gates that the righteous
nation which keepeth the truth may enter in. God's elect are
righteous in the covenant of peace from its inception. From the inception of that blessed
agreement, that blessed promise in eternity, we are considered
to be, and really are, righteous in Christ. Justified, sanctified,
and holy in Christ, in the sight of God. so that we read in verse
seven, the way of the just is uprightness. Thou most upright
dost way the path of the just. How? By laying all their iniquity
upon their saviour, their substitute, their surety. In the covenant
purposes of God, Christ stands as our representative. and in
not imputing sin to his people, God at once bestows grace, makes
us righteous and honours his justice by finding in Christ
a substitute to atone for our sins. So here's the first thing
that Isaiah saw and understood. Isaiah knew that there was righteousness
in Christ. Isaiah knew that he was righteous
in Christ and he comforted the people of his day by speaking
of that righteousness. God told him so. Here's the second
thing that we learn from this passage. That perfect peace is
the fruit of faith. The next thing that Isaiah knew
was that this righteous nation would be brought to experience
grace and reconciliation with God in time. Now faith produces
peace. We're reconciled to God by the
blood of Jesus Christ. That is God and man coming together
in peace because our sin has been removed and our sin has
been taken away. But thereafter, as we trust in
that work of atonement. As we believe in the Lord Jesus
Christ, as we take the promises of God and receive them in our
own souls by faith, they produce peace in our souls so that while
there is the reconciliation that we have with God, there is also
a peace that is experienced in our hearts through faith. And Isaiah writes in verses three
and four, thou wilt keep him in perfect peace whose mind is
stayed on thee because he trusteth in thee. And Isaiah saw that
there would be faith granted to this holy nation, this righteous
nation, that would give them a sense, an awareness of peace
in their souls. The righteous nation keep the
truth. That is, when they are converted,
they hold fast the faith that had been given to them and they
enjoy the peace that passeth understanding. The peace that
they have with God in Christ. They're brought into the church.
They are given faith to trust God's word, to receive Christ's
gifts, to believe God's promises. Isaiah looked to the time of
Christ's coming and he saw the church gathered and built on
the solid foundation of the rock of ages. That's what that little
phrase there is interpreted as in the margin of our Bible. No doubt it's where Mr Toplady
drew his analogy for speaking about the Rock of Ages as the
Lord Jesus Christ. The church is built on the solid
foundation of Christ the Rock of Ages. Nothing in this life
gives peace like trusting in Christ. No physical, tangible,
valuable commodity can protect us from sin and from temptation
and from spiritual danger. But trusting in Christ the righteous
people find perfect peace and comfort. And what a strong, emphatic
statement Isaiah makes to his readers. He says, trust ye in
the Lord forever, for in the Lord Jehovah is everlasting strength. Trust in the Lord forever, for
in the Lord Jehovah, he is worthy of our trust. And Isaiah was
telling his people The Lord is worthy of his trust for what
he is going to do. Brothers and sisters, we look
back at what Christ has done and say he is worthy of our trust. So much more blessed is our position
in seeing this work in retrospect. Faith doesn't remove our trouble
or even shield us from trouble in this life. But every difficult
experience encountered in the lives of the remnant people allows
us the opportunity to exercise that peace that we have in Christ. I don't know if we'll ever see
war or exile or slavery as the people in Isaiah's day did. And
maybe it is that we find our problems, our trials to be more
subtle than that. But we shall find relief and
comfort in the everlasting strength of our unchanging Saviour. And
maybe you say, well my faith is weak, my faith isn't strong,
my faith is little. Oftentimes I feel as if my faith
is often almost gone. Well, Isaiah was a comforter
for you too and in verse 12 he says, Lord thou wilt ordain peace
for us. The Lord will order, the Lord
will command peace for his people for thou also has wrought all
our works in us. trust the Lord, the Lord will
give us strength of faith. He will cause us to have peace
as we trust in him. Peace is the portion of God's
people and because this is our inheritance in Christ, who is
the Prince of Peace, the Lord will give us faith to enjoy it. Here's another thing that Isaiah
saw in this Gospel day. He saw that the Gospel would
go to the Gentiles. Isaiah saw the Gospel day when
God's Word would go forth in the Great Commission and God's
elect would be gathered from every nation. He saw an enlargement
of the work of God's peace and grace and blessing in the world. And this is what he means when
he says in these opening verses, open ye the gates. The gates
of the city are the gates to the church. They are opened when
the gospel is preached and the Lord's elect are called by grace
and power through the Holy Spirit to enter into the kingdom. And Isaiah continues in verse
15, he says, Thou hast increased the nation. The Lord has increased
the nation. What nation? The righteous nation. The elect that were just the
remnant, Isaiah looks forward and he says, this remnant people,
they are going to be an enlarged nation. Thou hast increased the
nation. You see, Isaiah knew that it
was sovereign grace. It was God. It is God. who saves souls and increases
the nation. This is a sovereign work that
we are observing, that we are watching. We stand and we watch
the Gospel accomplish God's purposes. Salvation is God's power. It's
not of man's will. It's not of man's strength. It's
not of man's desire and running and accomplishments that the
righteous nation should be enlarged. Neither the preachers of the
free will gospel nor the individuals themselves. And thou hast increased
the nation. Thou art glorified, continues
Isaiah in verse 15. Thou hast removed it, that is
its boundaries, far unto all the ends of the earth. When the Lord sent forth his
disciples, the gates of the city were flung open. When the Lord
sent Paul to the Gentiles, the gates of the church were flung
open. When the Lord sends a preacher
with his gospel of free sovereign grace, the gates are flung open. And what happens? The righteous
nation that keepeth the truth entereth in. God gathers his
people by the gospel preached. Here's the fourth thing that
Isaiah saw and understood about this gospel day. He says, thy
dead men shall live. This is in verse 19. Isaiah knew
about regeneration. Even in those Old Testament days,
they spoke about dead men coming to life. Thy dead men shall live. This was a gospel revelation
given to Isaiah to pass on to the people of his day. He is
telling the people about this enlarged, righteous nation that
shall fill Zion with its strong defensive walls. And he is saying
that they're a quickened, they're an enlivened, they're a regenerated
people. Those quickened to hear the gospel
spiritually. They're as dead men until this
work of grace is effected upon them. They're dead in their trespasses
and sins. But here's the amazing thing
about this little phrase, this little verse. Thy dead men shall
live. Yes, they are dead in their trespasses
and sins, but they're more than that. They are Christ's dead
men. They may be ignorant of grace
and peace in Christ, but they are nevertheless his possession. All for whom Christ died will
be brought to know the gospel truth, and having learned it,
they will keep it. God the Father declares in the
covenant settlement, fulfill these, he's speaking to his son,
fulfill these covenant obligations, and thy dead men shall live. God the Father speaks to his
Son and he says, fulfil these covenant obligations and thy
dead men shall live. And Christ replies in agreement
and in confirmation, together with my dead body they shall
arise. and turning to his elect people,
there in the covenant purposes of God, that sanctified set-apart
people, those that were predestinated to be conformed to the image
of the sun, he declares to them, Awake and sing, ye that dwell
in the dust. Thy dew is as the dew of the
herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. These are beautiful
gospel themes that Isaiah understood. Our souls in regeneration and
our bodies in the resurrection shall indeed awake and sing at
the call and command of the Lord Jesus Christ. And finally this. Isaiah sees the Gospel day and
he sees that it will bring many more blessings to his people.
A cornucopia, a richness, a blessedness of blessings shall flow and come
as the inheritance of the Lord's people. These are the blessings
of the church, not only redemption and regeneration and conversion
and resurrection, but protection and preservation and the plentiful
provision of good and profitable gifts from God. Brothers and
sisters, these are our possessions in this day in which we live.
Let us not become discouraged, let us not become depressed,
for we are rich with the good blessings that the Lord has given
us. And Isaiah speaks of these very
blessings in verse 20. The Lord protects, preserves
and provides for his people. Come, my people, says the Lord. Come, my people. Enter thou into
thy chambers, and shut thy doors about thee. Hide thyself, as
it were, for a little moment, until the indignation be overpassed. What do we do in our chambers? Like, like, like, what do we
do in our chambers? Well, we eat in our chambers,
and we sleep in our chambers. and we rest and we relax and
we feel secure and protected in our chambers. We enjoy the
promised benefits of peace and that doesn't mean that we're
removed from trouble but it does mean that we are sustained through
our troubles. We're sustained in the hard times
by the gospel encouragements that come to us and enable us
to persevere and pass through the trials of this life because
we trust in Christ. Where is it that the city dwellers
maintain their chambers? Okay, this is Zion, city of our
God. This is the church. Where do
city dwellers maintain their chambers? Well, in the city,
of course. And maybe, like Rehab, our chambers
are built into the very walls of that city. What's the lesson
for us? Our daily provision, our protection,
our preservation in this world comes to us as members of Christ's
church and under the ministry of his gospel. The gospel of
Christ is our nourishment. The gospel of Christ is our refreshment
and our rest. The gospel leads us to Christ
and Christ blesses our souls. He feeds his body and he satisfies
our desires who hunger and thirst after righteousness. May the
Lord bless these thoughts to us and encourage our hearts in
them. Amen. Oh, we are very fortunate today