Isaiah 63, we're going to look
at verses 7, 8, and 9. Isaiah 63, and starting in verse 7, I will
mention the loving kindness of the Lord and the praises of the
Lord according to all that the Lord hath bestowed on us. And
the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which he hath
bestowed on them according to his mercies and according to
the multitude of his loving kindnesses. For he said, surely they are
my people, children that will not lie. So he was their savior. In all their affliction he was
afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them. In his love
and in his pity he redeemed them, and he bared them and carried
them all the days of old." The question that comes to mind is
verse 9, who is this angel of the presence of God, who is
this angel? Now we need to ask three main
questions in order to understand the context. One, who is this
angel? Two, what is he doing? And three,
for whom is he doing these marvelous acts? The first question is three
points. First question, who is this angel?
Well, it's one and the same as chapter 63, verse 1. It says, Who is this that cometh
from Edom with dyed garments from Basra? This that is glorious
in his apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength,
I that speak in righteousness, Mighty to save. It's the same
person who's speaking there. It's the same person who's speaking
in Malachi chapter 3 and verse 1, where he says, Behold, I will
send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me, and
the Lord whom ye seek shall suddenly come to his temple, Even the
messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in, behold, he shall
come, saith the Lord of hosts." This is who is spoken of in the
ninth verse of the 63rd chapter of Isaiah, is none other than
the blessed Lord Jesus Christ. The anointed one of God. Psalms
105 verse 15. the great mediator of the everlasting
covenant, Hebrews 9. He's the son to Joseph, Matthew
chapter 1. He's the babe of Mary. He's the
glorious one set for the rise and fall of many, Luke chapter
2 speaks about. He's our kinsman redeemer, Ruth. He's holy, harmless, and undefiled,
perfect, pure, and righteous altogether. He's the king of
Salem and the king of peace. He is the priest after the order
of Melchizedek, Hebrews 5, 6, and 7, and also Genesis chapter
14. This is who is the angel. This is who is spoken of in verse
9. All their affliction, He, He was afflicted. The angel of
His presence saved them. This redemption is not ever attributed
to a mere angel, but it's to the angel of the covenant, which
is Christ. We've seen that in months past. And His presence
saved them. In His love and in His pity,
He redeemed them. And He bared them. and carried
them all the days of old." Second question, what is our Lord doing? What is this glorious One doing? Well, just go right down the
verse. The first thing He's doing is
He's afflicted. He was afflicted. Afflicted. Isaiah 53 says, He was wounded
for our transgressions. Afflicted. Isaiah 53 verse 4. It says that His presence saved
them. That's what He's doing. He's
afflicted for them. As Bruce mentioned today, it's
very well said. You know, he suffered and he
wasn't guilty, but we're guilty and we got set free. I mean,
that's a plan, a scheme, a plan of redemption, salvation that
man would not think of. The innocent for the guilty. Afflicted. Wounded. It also says,
it uses the word saved, saving. Presence, and the angel of His
presence saved them. Matthew 1.21, He shall save His
people from their sin. Not maybe, not perhaps, but shall. God shalls. As we say, you can
take that to the bank. You can do that. You don't have
to worry about... With us, you have to worry about
whether persons will show up, whether they'll do what they
said. Yes or no, we may be hindered. But God, His shalls are absolutes. It says, nextly, in His love
and in His pity, He redeemed them. He bought them back. And the beautiful thing about
redemption, it's a purchase. He bought back that which was
His own. I haven't said this in a long
time, but when we redeem coupons, Whose coupon was it? Well, it's
the place where you got its coupon. You're just transferring it,
giving it back to them. If they've already printed it,
it's theirs. Particular redemption further proves election of God's
grace. He redeemed or bought back the people that were always
His. Nobody else, always His. There's a number that I can't
number. A number that no man can number.
It's the sand of the sea. our corruptions and iniquities. He's sacrificing Himself upon
Calvary's tree, bearing the shame and embarrassment due us. Look
at 1 Peter 1. 1 Peter 1. And verse 18, As you know that you were not
redeemed, bought back with corruptible things as silver and gold from
your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers,
but with the precious blood of Christ as a lamb without blemish
and without spot." Hebrews chapter 9. Hebrews chapter 9 and verse 12. Neither by the blood of bulls,
of goats and calves, but by His own blood, He entered in once
into the holy place, having obtained eternal redemption for us." Having
obtained. That's past tense. Having obtained. We weren't born yet. This was
all accomplished in the mind of God before time was. He is
taking our place. A place of death, sorrow, and
humiliation. Leviticus chapter 1. He took
our place. That's substitution. Leviticus
chapter 1. I've always liked this illustration. Leviticus chapter 1 and start
in verse 1. And read through verse 9. And
the Lord called unto Moses, and spake unto him out of the tabernacle,
the congregation saying, Speak unto the children of Israel,
and say unto them, If any man of you bring an offering unto
the Lord, he shall bring an offering of the cattle, even of the herd,
of the flock. If his offering be a burnt sacrifice
of the herd, let him offer a male without blemish, He shall offer
it of his own voluntary will at the door of the tabernacle
of the congregation before the Lord, and he shall put his hand
upon the head of the burnt offering, and it shall be accepted for
him to make atonement for him. He shall kill the bullock before
the Lord, and the priest, Aaron's son, shall bring the blood and
sprinkle the blood round about the altar that is by the door
of the tabernacle of the congregation. And he shall flay the burnt offering
and cut it into his pieces. And the sons of Aaron, the priest,
shall put fire upon the altar and lay wood and order upon the
fire. And the priest, Aaron's son,
shall lay parts and heads and fat and order of the wood upon,
that is, the fire which is upon the altar. But his inwards and
legs shall he wash in water, and the priest shall burn all
on the altar. to be a burnt sacrifice, an offering
made of fire, a sweet Savior unto the Lord." Christ didn't
sacrifice part of Himself, everything. Everything was to be burnt. And
it was. Christ completely laid down His
life. It wasn't taken. He laid down
His life for His people. In verse 4, the priest, "...and
He shall put His hand on the head of the burnt offering. And
it's accepted. It shows transfer, shows transfer
substitution. He took our place. We deserve
death. He died. He who is love would
demonstrate such grace and mercy and pity towards those who as
it were were said were always out of the way. Hebrews chapter
5 and verse 2. We are always out of the way.
Always. There is not... The depravity
of man is not believed, nor is it preached from very often.
I've said this before and I've heard it from somebody. I can't
preach man bad enough. I can't preach God sovereign
enough. I can't do it because we are
so vile. Only the Holy Spirit can take these things in type
and picture and in this passage and lay it to heart. It says, He redeemed them And
He bare them and carried them all the days of old. He bare
them. He bare them. It says our blessed
text, carried them. And I looked that word up, that
means lifted. Lifted. He lifted. Or it means to bare,
to bore up. Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus. Love of every loved the best.
Tis an ocean vast of blessing. Tis a haven sweet of rest. Oh, the deep, deep love of Jesus.
Tis an heaven of heavens to me. And it lifts me up to glory. For it lifts me up to Thee. He
lifted us up. That tells me, as the Scripture
says it, we were without strength, without merit, totally unable
to seek the things of God. Weak, we had a fatal blow, and
certain death awaits us. We sing that other hymn also,
Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe. He, this same Jesus, will accomplish
from stem to stern, start to finish, first to last, our redemption,
fully, completely, and suitably. There's no other. I mean, He's
the only one given among men, whereby we must be saved. Isn't
He a suitable sacrifice? I mean, if I would have sat down
and tried to write something, I couldn't write it as beautiful
as the Scriptures. He's totally, fully accomplished redemption,
and He's suitable, perfect, holy, harless, Holy, harmless and undefiled. I'll get it out in a minute.
And it says he's finished. The work is finished. He's finished
and seated. And I just thought about those
two words. Brethren, the work is finished and he is seated
at the right hand of God. Nothing more to be done. These
religious knuckleheads that are running around preaching false
Gospels and false Christ and false God, they have you going
about doing something for something. You do it for your soul or for
this or that or confessing or talking to some goofy guy sitting
in a booth that can't forgive sins. No. He has fully finished
the work and he is seated. That means we are to cease from
our works and enter into his rest. Last question, back in
our text. For whom did He do this? Well, let's reread the text.
Isaiah 63 and verse 9. In all their affliction, He was
afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them. In His love
and in His pity, He redeemed them, and He bared them. and carried them all the days
of old. There, them, them, them, and
them. I don't know who they are. I
know this. According to this text, some
people are going to be saved. Someone is going to be saved.
Some shall be saved. Elsewhere in the Scriptures,
they are called the chosen. the remnant, the elect, and sheep. Are we in this group? Are we of this group? Are we
they or them, chosen, remnant, elect? Are we among this group?
Are we pleading the blood and righteousness of Christ? Are
we willing in the day of His power to be afflicted, saved,
redeemed, born up, and carried by our Sovereign Lord? He's not
going to save anybody against their will. I used to think that
at one time. But then, no, He conquers the
will. He makes us willing in the day
of His power. Are we willing to believe, as it seemed right
unto you, Lord, so we bow unto you? Are we willing to acknowledge
that He is totally sovereign over everything? And I mean everything. Are we willing to say, show us
Christ or we perish? Are we willing to say, I must
have Christ or I perish? We got these little cards printed
out for the church. And I like that what we got on
there, Christ, nothing less, nothing more, and nothing else. And if it's not complicated,
you don't have to be a PhD, you don't have to know Greek, you
don't have to know Hebrew, you just have to know Him. You know
me. I'm not very complicated. And
that's fine. Let's just look to Him and worship
Him because He's carried, He's afflicted. He was afflicted when
we should have been afflicted. Saved us, redeemed us, carries
us, and bears us. What a Redeemer! As Maurice Montgomery
would say, Hallelujah! What a Savior! Bruce, would you
close us please?