Well, we turn to Isaiah chapter
60, and as Stephen read it, as he said at the end of it, what
glorious words, what a beautiful chapter. I mean, just the sheer
language of the King James Version is just something quite special,
isn't it? 7 to 800 years before Christ
came. You know, these are old words. They really are. Nearly 2,800
years old and yet they're just so rich. So rich. But I was thinking how to approach
this chapter. What do we have here? We have
quite a lot about Zion. You know, we were reading about
the Redeemer shall come to Zion last week. And this chapter is
God's promise to Zion. And I was thinking about the
days in which we're living at the moment. We're in the run
up to a general election in the United Kingdom, less than three
weeks away now. And all of the political parties,
of which we have rather too many in this country, but I'm not
making political comments this morning, they're all publishing
their manifestos. And you hear this word. Do you
know what a manifesto is? I'll give you the dictionary
definition. It's a published declaration
of the intentions, motives, or views of the issuer, be it an
individual, group, or political party, or government. What we're
going to do, what we believe in, what we want to put in place,
these are the things that we're promising that you vote for us
and this is what we'll do for you. Well, Isaiah chapter 60
is the manifesto of God's kingdom. This is what God promises his
people in his kingdom. And what do I mean when I talk
about his kingdom? What do I mean when I talk about
the kingdom of God? It's also called the kingdom
of heaven. What do I mean? Jesus came, when he came, you
read early on in his ministry, Mark chapter 1 and verse 14,
it says that Jesus came preaching the gospel, good news, that's
what gospel means, preaching the good news of the kingdom
of God. The kingdom of God. God has a
kingdom. God has a nation. We live in
the United Kingdom here. England, Scotland, Wales, Northern
Ireland is the United Kingdom. It's the nation in which we live,
of which most of us here in this room are citizens. a body of
people, and likewise the Kingdom of God is the nation of God. It's not a nation as in the nations
of this world. It doesn't have political power
as it ranks in the nations of this world. Don't for one minute
think that it's anything to do with the Vatican or any of those
sort of pseudo-religious political institutions, not one bit. The
Kingdom of God is God's nation, and it's the body of God's people,
over which God God, who am I talking about? The one who is all-righteous. The one who is good. The very
definition of good is God. The one who is love to the very
core of his being. He, this God, reigns supreme
over his nation, over his kingdom. And if you want to see it, in
all its glory or if you want to see it more clearly because
I think we see it only in all its glory when we get to heaven
you have to set it again you know when you want to see something
if a jeweler is showing you a fabulous diamond you know what they normally
do they put it against some black velvet don't they because you
don't see the black the black velvet provides the background
contrast and the thing itself shines out against that Well,
you have to set the kingdom of God against the kingdom of this
world, and I say kingdom deliberately, not kingdoms. The kingdom of
this world is made up of the kingdoms of this world, but I'm
talking about the kingdom of this world. The people in general
who are under the thrall of Satan, this is the kingdom, the scripture
calls it the kingdom of Antichrist. The kingdom of God is the kingdom
of Christ, but the kingdom of Satan is the kingdom of Antichrist.
And what is that? It's all that despises the rule
of the God of Scripture, the true God of Scripture. It despises
the rule of the God of Scripture. I'm not talking about what most
people imagine as gods, as the true God, the God of their religion,
because in most cases those gods are idols of people's religious
imagination. They're not the true God. Where
do we get the knowledge of the true God? It's here in this book.
with his spirit's enlightenment, with his spirit's revelation
of the truth of God. Think about God's kingdom, this
kingdom of God that in chapter 60 of Isaiah is making promises
to its citizens. God's kingdom is firstly, it's
invisible to natural sight. Jesus said, they said to him,
when will the kingdom of God come? And Jesus said, the kingdom
of God doesn't come by observation, No, it's invisible to natural
sight. The natural man does not receive
the things of the Spirit of God. They're foolishness to him. Neither
can he know them. Why? Because they're spiritually
discerned. You can only see it with spiritual
discernment. And where do you get that spiritual
discernment? Jesus said to Nicodemus, except
a man, unless a man is born again of the Spirit of God, he means,
he cannot see the Kingdom of God. Without the rebirth, without
the new birth from the Spirit of God, this is the revelation
that comes down from on high into the heart and soul of a
person. You cannot see the Kingdom of God, never mind express an
opinion about it, you can't see it. But that Kingdom is the possession
of those who are blessed by God's grace, by His revelation, by
His sovereign grace. Matthew 5 and verse 10 The Sermon
on the Mount, many people say, oh, well, I don't have time for
your religion, but give me the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus said,
blessed are you when you're persecuted. By what? By the kingdom of this
world, by the kingdom of Satan. Blessed are you when you're persecuted
for righteousness sake, for the sake of the righteousness of
the kingdom of God. Blessed are you because to you
belongs the kingdom of heaven. You see, without spiritual enlightenment
from on high by the Spirit of God, you can't even see that
kingdom. But with that enlightenment,
you actually possess the kingdom of God. So the Kingdom of God
is invisible to natural sight, but the Kingdom of God is also
a family in Scripture. It's a family. Ephesians 3.15
says this, Our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in heaven
and earth is named. Who is the whole family? It's
that people that God the Father gave to the Son before the beginning
of time. Sorry, where did you get that
from? Don't people decide as time goes on? No, no. According
to the scriptures, he says in Ephesians 1 verse 4, just as
we are chosen in Christ before the foundation of the world,
he talks in 2 Timothy chapter 1 and verse 9 about that blessing
of salvation which was given to us in Christ before time began. Before time began. It's that
family into which believers have received the adoption. Romans
8, 15. We've received the adoption whereby we call God, who is holy,
that no man has seen at any time, into whose presence it is a fearful
thing to fall, our God who is a consuming fire, but to the
children of God, adopted into the family of God by the grace
of God on the basis of the salvation that Christ has accomplished,
we cry, Abba. Father, do you know Abba, you
know that word? It's the Hebrew word daddy, daddy, affectionate
word, my daddy. We cry Abba, Father, to the God
of heaven and earth. It's a sheepfold. Thirdly, the
kingdom of God. Jesus said, I am the good shepherd
of the sheep. He has his sheep. And he puts
his sheep into his sheepfold. And he guards his sheep. As he
says in John 10, 16, he says, other sheep, them also must I
bring. And they must hear my voice.
And there will be one fold and one shepherd. This is his kingdom.
This is the kingdom of God. This is the kingdom of heaven.
This is his church. This is the body of Christ. Fourthly,
it's the New Jerusalem. Jerusalem, that city which is
still there in the Middle East now, has no religious significance
today, but in Old Testament days it was the place, symbolically,
where God resided. If you would know God in Old
Testament days, you must go to Jerusalem, because only there
was the sacrifice made at the temple which was the picture
of redemption that Christ would accomplish there. In the Old
Testament the ten tribes of the north of Israel fell into the
sins of Jeroboam and in a nutshell that sin was thinking that you
could have a sacrifice that was acceptable to God other than
in Jerusalem and that was called the sins of Jeroboam. That was
the case then, but now, no. Not that place has got no significance
at all, but in Galatians 4 verse 26, Paul tells them about Jerusalem,
which is above. And that Jerusalem which is above
is free, which is the mother of us all, the church. The church
is often pictured as the mother, out of which the children of
God are born into it by the preaching of the gospel of grace. When
John the Apostle was given his vision of the revelation, when
he was on the Isle of Patmos in the Aegean Sea, and in Revelation
21 verse 2, he says, I saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming
down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for
her husband. It's Jerusalem, the New Jerusalem. Fifthly, it is Zion. It is Zion. The Redeemer shall come to Zion,
verse 20 of the previous chapter of Isaiah. And then in verse
14 of this current chapter, chapter 60, at the end of it, the city
of the Lord, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel. The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.
It's God's church. It's His elect. The scriptures
call it His elect. His multitude. It is the body
of Christ which is the church. It is His people. And it is that
universal church by which is meant all who have believed the
gospel of his grace from the earliest days right the way down
to the days in which we live. The son of Adam and Eve believed
God and worshipped God in a right way. Cain, his brother, didn't
and wouldn't. And it's been that separation
ever since. There are those as able who believe
the truth of sovereign grace, of particular redemption. They
bring a worship which is acceptable to God, not because they are
good, but because of what they've been given to see by grace. His
people, for whom Christ stood as surety, guarantor, substitute,
to save them from their sins. Christ has redeemed us from the
curse of the law. How? He was made a curse for
us. He bore the curse which should
be ours because of our sin. and thereby he removed that curse. It's no more there to fall on
the people of God, the people for whom Christ died. The kingdom
of the world hates the kingdom of God and seeks its demise.
You look down history and it has always been the case. It
has always been the case. always try to destroy the true
church of God, strives to make it hard for God's people to live
in the world. We read that in Revelation chapter
13, you know where it says if you don't have the mark of that
kingdom of Satan, which is the philosophy, the attitude, the
outlook of that, then it becomes increasingly difficult to operate
in this world. You say that's a bit harsh, that's
a bit extreme isn't it? No. You imagine that you're a
teacher. I'm sure there'll be some who
are teachers listening to me. I used to be a teacher. I could
say things in the 1970s when I was teaching which were in
accord with the truth of God that I believe, and that was
acceptable. Do you know something today?
If you said some of the things that I used to uphold in front
of my colleagues about not teaching evolution as fact, about right
morals, good and right morals, you'd be sidelined for hate speech. They'd make it increasingly difficult
for you to live and operate in this world. That's the situation
that we're in. But here in Isaiah chapter 60,
we have the manifesto of God's kingdom. as I say, I'm using
the time that we're in, coming up to an election. Manifesto
of the political parties. Here we have the manifesto of
God's kingdom. Now, how do you assess a manifesto,
a political party's manifesto? Well, you look to say, does it
have desirable aspirations? Are the things that this party
is saying they will do things that I would like to see implemented?
And you might say yes to a lot of them. And then you have to
ask the question, ah, but are these promises that they're making,
are they honest promises? Are they credible promises? Are
they truthful promises? Let's get down to a bit more
of the brass tacks of it. Are they affordable promises? If they're put into practice,
can we all afford them? Can we? Are they just? Are they
based on principles that are just and right and honourable? On the radio just the other day,
I heard a political commentator say this about manifestos. He says, people have an inherent
caution about manifestos because they think back. And as far as
most people are concerned, manifestos are no more than broken promises.
Is that not the case? You look back at what political
parties have claimed that they would accomplish, claimed that
they, the age that they would bring in and what they actually
managed to bring in. Broken promises. Why? It's because of the corruption
of the human condition. It's because of sin. And what
is sin? It's self first. It's lies and
untruth. It's deceit. Do you know, that's
probably about the biggest crime in our society today, is the
crime of deceit and deception, isn't it? Fraud, deceit, deception. And then we see such rank hypocrisy. Don't you get sick of hearing
it with the political commentators and the different parties throwing
accusations at one another and you think you're exactly the
same. That of which you accuse them, you're exactly the same.
All human manifestos are fundamentally flawed because of sin. But contrast
that with God's kingdom. God's kingdom is based on truth. God is truth. God's word is truth. His word is truth. The word of
God is truth. Pilate asked Jesus, what is truth?
Thy word is truth. The word of God is truth. It's
the absolute standard of truth. It's based on righteousness.
No deception. It's based on justice. by which
is not meant what left-wing parties call justice, they have no idea
what the meaning of the word is. We're talking about divine
justice, established, paid for. It's underpinned by God himself,
by his ability. He is the God who changes not.
He says, I am God, I change not. Jesus Christ, the same yesterday,
today, and forever. In the previous two chapters,
58 and 59, God showed his contempt for false religion. false religion,
which is really the kingdom of Satan pretending to be the kingdom
of God. It's formal. It's hypocritical. It's profane. It's immoral. And
then in verses 20 and 21 of 59, he says, the Redeemer shall come
to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob.
And he says, this is my covenant with them, says the Lord, my
spirit that is upon me, and my words which I have put in thy
mouth shall not depart out of my mouth. It's based on a solid
contract, covenant, which will not be compromised in any way.
The Redeemer, the one who will pay the release price, the ransom
price, from the debt of sin of His people, will come to Zion,
His people, His church, based on the covenant of salvation
from sin, which is not based on you do this and I'll bless
you and you don't do this and I won't bless you, but it's based
on the covenant of grace. where the Father, the Son and
the Holy Spirit covenanted together to save the multitude that the
Father gave to Christ before the beginning of time. And He
came. The Redeemer shall come. He has
come. We look back 2,000 years. He came into this world. When
the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his son,
made of a woman, made under the law to redeem those who are under
the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons whereby
we cry, here it is again, Abba, Father. He came to establish
righteousness. He came to pay the sin debt of
his people. He came, as his name says, Jesus. He shall save his people from
their sins. But he returned to glory and
he's coming again. He's coming again to bring the
kingdom of God to final, eternal fruition. To do that which God
has always purposed to do in eternal glory. What does God
promise to the citizens of His kingdom? Here we are in chapter
60 of Isaiah. I know that was a long introduction,
but hopefully it lays the foundation for what we're going to look
at. In the first two verses, arise, shine, for thy light is
come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. For behold,
the darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the
people, but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall
be seen upon thee. Some think that the whole of
this chapter is about Zion, the Church of God, the people of
God, the New Jerusalem, and others think it's about Christ. Well,
I'll tell you what I think. I think it's about both, because
you can't separate them. Christ and Zion, Christ and his
people, are eternally united. The Scriptures talk about being
in union with him. And the light that Zion has is
the light of Christ, which they reflect. That's what it is. It's the light of Christ which
they reflect. Whereas the earth, this world,
is in spiritual night. Behold, the darkness shall cover
the earth. The earth is in spiritual night regarding the truth of
God. You won't find the truth of God
in nature. You might look, and if you're
not dishonest with yourself, as so many are, you will say,
well, I see the hand of God in everything around here because
I cannot explain it any other way. You know, the one thing
that is absolute anathema in scientific circles these days
is the concept of intelligent design by God. Your career is ended if you suggest
such a thing. And yet, we all know inherently,
in our innermost beings, that everything we see around us,
those birds fluttering around there, it wasn't a process of
random big bang and a huge great shake and an awful long time
that produced them. It's God. God made them. Creation. God has made these things. He
is the one that has made it. But this world doesn't know anything
about it. And they know nothing about the truth of God, and the
truth of salvation, and the truth of the justice of God. And so
this earth remains in its own strength and in its own wisdom.
But God's people, Zion, are enlightened with spiritual light from God
himself. God gives light. What is this
light? He says Christ is the light of the world. He said,
I am the light of this world. Jesus said that. to his disciple,
I am the light of this world. His word is light. His word is, as the psalm says,
psalm 119 verse 105, it is a light to my path and a lamp to my feet,
or whichever way round that is, but you know, that's the essence
of it. Our Lord Jesus Christ, He the
Son of God, S-O-N, the scripture tells us He is the Son, S-U-N,
of righteousness. You know the sun, that great
big ball that gleams in the sky that lights up everything even
on a dull day like today. There's still enough light for
everything to be seen clearly. The Son of righteousness, Malachi
chapter 4 and verse 2, unto you that fear my name, Oh, isn't
that an old-fashioned thing? We don't do that these days,
do we? Oh yes we do if we've got wisdom. You know what the
scripture says? The fear of the Lord is the beginning
of wisdom. The fear, the reverence for,
the respect for, the don't make fun of, don't treat lightly,
you that fear my name, to you shall the sun of righteousness
arise, like the sun rising on a clear morning, with healing
in his wings. Because in the Lord Jesus Christ
we see the glorious light of God. It says in John chapter
1 and verses 4 and 5, in him, in Christ, the one who is the
word of God, who was with God in the beginning, who is God,
The One who made all things and without whom was nothing made
that was made, it says that in Him, Christ, was life. And the life was the light of
men. And the light shined in the darkness,
but the darkness didn't understand it. The darkness of this world
does not understand the light of God that is in Christ. That
light of God we see in the face of Jesus Christ. I don't mean
literally in a picture of his face, but I mean in everything
that he is, in that which his character beams out. He is the
express image of the person of God, and in his face By faith
we see the light of the knowledge of the glory of God. Light? Again, what am I meaning? I mean
the truth of God's word. That is light in a world of darkness. The truth of God's word. I mean
the truth of God's gospel, his good news of saving grace. I mean the truth of God's character
and his person, that he is a God who is all-powerful, that He
is a God who orders all things according to the counsel of His
own will. A God who is righteous and holy,
who dwells, we read, in unapproachable light. He is so holy. Before whom the holy angels hide
their faces, crying, Holy, holy, holy is the Lord. The truth of
Him who is sovereign over everything, who says, I will be gracious
to whomsoever I will be gracious. and to whom he won't be, he won't
be, because he is God. The truth of heaven and hell,
that this life is not all that there is. The truth of life and
death, because it says in the Psalms, unto God belong the issues
from death. Jesus told his disciples regarding
this truth. He said this, John 15, verse
15, Jesus, who is the manifestation of the invisible God, Jesus,
who came to this earth, who is God the Lord, you call me Lord,
Lord, and rightly so, for so I am, he said. But he says in
John 15, verse 15, I have called you friends. For all things that
I have heard of my father, I have made known unto you. That's light. That's spiritual light. You know
what friends do, don't you? Friends tell one another their
secrets, don't they? You think about the people you
know as your friends, your true friends you tell your secrets
to. Jesus said, I've told you the
secrets of heaven. I've shined my light, I've shined
heavenly light into your hearts that you might see the light
of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. And so, With this enlightenment,
God calls his people to radiate his light. It says in Matthew
5, again, in the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5, verse 14, he
says to his people, he says, in another place he says, I am
the light of the world, but he says to his people, you, who,
believe me, you are the light of the world. A city that is
set on a hill cannot be hid, neither do men light a candle
and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick, and it gives
light unto all that are in the house. Let your light, you disciples,
let your light so shine before men that they may see your good
works, and glorify your Father, which is in heaven. Have you
not noticed how worldly governments keep their people in darkness?
They have to because of the sin that's in the world. For our
own safety, worldly governments have to keep their people in
darkness. But in the kingdom of God, our Lord Jesus Christ,
who is God, calls us his friends, and he shows to us all things
that he's heard from the Father, everything. everything. This
is a manifesto, this is a manifesto of a glorious kingdom because
it's not hindered by sin. Secondly, strength and prosperity. Now I hope you were concentrating
when Stephen read it because in verses 3 to 17 we read of
a kingdom which is strong and prosperous. You see to the world
the kingdom of Satan in the days in which we live You look and
if you say we represent the true church, not the established church
which doesn't preach the truth of saving grace, I'm not talking
about them, I'm talking about little places like us where the
true gospel of grace, we seek to faithfully preach it and proclaim
it, and to the world it's insignificant. It's finished. As far as its
influence on society is concerned, it's absolutely worthless. It's
just exactly like that picture I often refer you to in Revelation
11, where the two witnesses, which represent the church and
its preachers, are lying dead in the streets of this world.
And the citizens of this world are rejoicing for the fact that
they've got rid of this annoying outfit that used to keep telling
them that they were doing things wrong. They're lying dead in
the streets. Is that not what this church,
this Zion of God looks like to the kingdom of this world? God's
rule, God's righteousness, is universally rejected. It is. Think about it. Look at the news.
Examine what you keep seeing. God's righteousness is universally
rejected. This isn't hate speech, I don't
hate any people when I say this, but all of the LGBT stuff that
we see peddled constantly in our media, and that schools,
teachers are being told they've got to teach little children
this sort of thing, it's completely contrary to the principles of
God's Word and God's truth. God's truth is utterly rejected,
universally. But God's truth is that His kingdom,
God's kingdom, is truly triumphant. It is in actual fact. You may
not see it on the surface, but underneath it is provided with
all that is needed from this world's riches and more. Look
at verse 5. Then thou shalt see and flow
together, and thine heart shall fear and be enlarged, because
of the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee. The forces
of the Gentiles shall come unto thee. You see, he's talking about
lots of people coming in, isn't he? Verse 6, the multitude of
camels and the dromedaries. He's talking about great prosperity.
Gold, they'll bring their gold with them. What for? For the
benefit of the work and purposes of God in this world. All the
flocks of Cedar and the rams of Nabioth and they shall come
with acceptance on my altar and I will glorify the house of my
glory. I will glorify Zion. Everything
that his church needs, it will be done. They'll fly as a cloud. Then verse 9, surely the isles,
that's talking about the Gentile nations, shall wait for me and
the ships of Tarshish first to bring thy sons from afar their
silver and their gold with them unto the Lord thy God. Everything
that this church of God, this Zion of God needs is going to
be provided because God causes it to be provided. Brass for
gold, iron silver in its place, brass for stones, iron for stones,
I'm reading that wrong, but you know what I mean, it's talking
of a great enrichment. God's church in the world is
provided with all it needs to do God's work, and those involved
with it know that that is the case. He says of his people that
his people will never go begging bread. His people always have
what they need. We don't have all that we might
want as fleshly, covetous people, but we have all that we need.
And the church of God has all that it needs and more. And then
there's a promise here. Imagine how this would go down
in a political manifesto. The second thing I see here in
these verses is a promise of colossal immigration. What are
all the political parties saying that they're going to try and
do? They're going to try and control immigration, aren't they? They're
going to try and reduce immigration. But this manifesto of God's kingdom
promises colossal immigration. Look at verse 3. The Gentiles
shall come to thy light. Verse 4. Thy sons shall come
from afar, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.
Verse 5. The abundance of the sea shall
be converted unto thee. Verse 6. All they from Sheba
shall come, they shall bring gold and incense, they shall
show forth the praises of the Lord. Verse 8, who are these
that fly as a cloud? It's all the people coming in
to the kingdom of God. They're as doves to their windows. Verse 10, the sons of strangers,
those who were not by nature and descent the citizens of the
kingdom, the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and
their kings shall minister unto thee. And in my wrath I smote
thee, but in my favour I have had mercy on thee." Verse 11,
therefore, thy gates shall be open continually. They shall
not be shut day or night. The way in remains open, is the
promise of the manifesto of the kingdom of God. Colossal immigration,
why? Why colossal immigration? We
read Jesus saying to the people that he has in this world, fear
not, little flock. Because when you're in this world,
in any one of the local manifestations of the believing people of God,
it always appears that you're a little flock. But we see a
multitude in the sovereign purposes of God that no man can number. A colossal multitude. It's called
the elect of God. It's called the Zion of God,
the Israel of God. A colossal multitude that no
man can number. John sees it in Revelation. In
Revelation 19 and verse 1 he says, And I looked, and behold,
much people in heaven. Much people. Who are they? They
were, well they are those chosen in Christ before the foundation
of the world but then they're born into this world, they're
made of a woman and they're made, they're born of man and woman
and they take on them the fallen nature of Adam. They take on
them that nature of sin and they're the slaves of sin and they're
the slaves of Satan but they're converted to Christ. Verse five. The abundance of the sea shall
be converted unto thee. They'll be converted unto Christ.
People in their multitudes who are, as the scripture says, children
of wrath even as others. There's no difference. They're
not God's children because they're better than others. They're in
exactly the same position. Sinners without any hope, but
by God's grace and by the work of the Lord Jesus Christ in redemption,
they're converted to him. Think of Paul of Tarsus, Saul
of Tarsus, who became Paul the Apostle. Look in verse 14. The
sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto
thee. Saul of Tarsus was a Jewish Pharisee who was of the most
extreme type who sought nothing other than the destruction of
the fledgling New Testament Church and he went out of his way to
capture them and to take them bound prisoner back to Jerusalem
that they might be put to death there and he wanted to stamp
out this whole thing and the Lord Jesus Christ met him on
the road to Damascus and that man became Paul the Apostle because
straightaway He preached Christ. Lord, what would you have me
to do? And he went and he became, as we know, the most powerful
witness. How many letters do we have in
the scriptures that are written by the Apostle Paul? You see,
he was converted. Those that afflicted the church,
they'll come bending unto thee and serving it. Those that the
world despises, they're the ones who come. In 1 Corinthians we
read about those who are members of God's church in verse 26,
for you see your calling, brethren, how that Not many wise men after
the flesh, as the world counts wise. Not many mighty, not many
noble are called. You might say, I'd join this
church if there were more really, you know, famous, respected men
of the world that were part of it. But the scripture tells us,
no, it's not going to be like that in the purposes of God. Not many
wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble are
called. But God has chosen the foolish thing, the things the
world counts foolish. They're not inherently foolish
themselves. but the things the world counts foolish. God has
chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise,
those that the world counts wise. And God has chosen the weak things
of the world to confound the things which are mighty. And
the base things of the world and the things which are despised
hath God chosen. Yea, things which are not, to
bring to nothing the things that are. So that we shouldn't glory
in the flesh, so that we shouldn't glory in the things of this flesh. No. And then thirdly, here come
all these people, into what? Into what are they coming? Is
it a weak kingdom? You know, there are weak nations
on this earth. There are weak political situations. No, this
is strong. Look at verse 10. The sons of
strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall
minister unto thee. When Nehemiah went back to Jerusalem,
after the Babylonian captivity. It was to build up the walls
of Jerusalem, to defend it against those that would destroy it.
God says His city, His Zion, His people will be protected
with walls, defences. That's what walls are for. They're
there for defence. Defence against what? Well, I'll
give you one thing. They're there for defense against
the accusations of Satan, who is called in scripture the accuser
of the brethren. Of what does he accuse the people
of God? He accuses them of being sinners
who are not redeemed. He accuses them of being sinners
who have a sin debt to answer for. But the walls of salvation,
where Christ, you know, who shall lay any charge to God's elect?
Christ has died for them. Who can do that? Nobody can.
Satan, the accuser of the brethren, is fundamentally disarmed by
that which Christ has accomplished in his death and shed blood on
the cross. And therefore, his salvation
is as a wall of defense, a wall of salvation that is finished.
In Isaiah 26, we read about this frequently in the scripture,
Isaiah 26 and verse 1, it says, In that day shall this song be
sung in the land of Judah. We have a strong city. Salvation
will guard a point for walls and for bulwarks. In chapter
60 and verse 18 we read, violence shall no more be heard in thy
land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders, but thou
shalt call thy walls salvation. and thy gates praised." Do you
see what it's saying? It's a strong kingdom, a strong
city, but only Zion's citizens are qualified to be there. Verse
12, the nation and kingdom that will not serve God shall perish. Yea, those nations shall be utterly
wasted. Who is on the Lord's side? Who
for Him will go, says that old hymn. Joshua counts, choose you
this day whom you will serve, but as for me and my house, we
will serve the Lord. And then finally, and I'll be
very quick with this, the certainty of unending intimate communion
with God. That's in this manifesto, because
in verses 18 to 22 we have a picture of heaven. And I'm going to be
very brief. 21. Thy people also shall be all righteous. They
shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the
work of my hands, that I may be glorified. A little one shall
become a thousand, a small one a strong nation. I the Lord will
hasten it in His time. This was seen by John on Patmos
when he was given the Revelation, chapters 21 and 22. Read it for
yourself. A picture of perfect peace, of
the uninterrupted light of God, of righteousness established,
of intimate communion between the people of God and their God.
Nothing between them. Nothing of sin and of physical
nature to cause a separation. It's an inheritance that is possessed
by the people of God. An inheritance possessed. That's
heaven to the people of God. In Romans 8, 17 we read about
those people being the heirs of God. you know, if you're an
heir of someone, you're going to inherit something. The heirs
of God and joint heirs with Christ. What bigger inheritance could
you possibly, possibly have? There is no earthly will that
can give you more than this. This is what God promises in
his manifesto to his people, and all of it is the work of
God, from beginning to end. of grace that no man shall boast
in his own works from beginning to end. Its objective is glory
and praise. Now let me ask you, do you like
the sound of that kingdom, that manifesto? Do you believe the
promises of God's manifesto? Is he calling you to call on
him? and be saved, for whosoever shall
call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. What must I do
to be saved? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ
and you shall be saved. And anyone in your household
who believes with you, is he calling you to call on him and
be saved from just condemnation? Well, the gates are open. We read it in verse 11. Therefore
thy gates shall be open continually. They shall not be shut day or
night. Zion's gates are open continually. until they're finally
closed. And when they're finally closed,
there'll be no going in. Don't delay. Heed the voice of
the Lord Jesus Christ. Seek the Lord while he may be
found. We read it in Isaiah 55. Jesus said, come to me now. Today
is the day of salvation. Call on him while he is near.
He has promised. He has promised. Jesus has promised.
All that the Father gives me, all the people, shall come to
me. No man can come, he says a few verses later, except the
Father draw him. And he says this. Don't let that
put you off because whoever comes I will in no wise cast out. Amen.