Isaiah 51, we looked at verses 1, 2, and
3 last Sunday. This morning we're just going
to see verses 4, 5, and 6. And once again, our Lord is addressing
His people and He promises support and comfort because of His unchanging
nature towards us. He promises support and comfort. for his people, and we know that
which God promises, being God, he cannot lie. So I hope that
we will find comfort in these passages, these short three verses. And I've entitled this based
on the last portion of the last verse in 6. Some things do last
forever. I know we always say that things
vanish, and we are, we're getting older, and there's some things,
there are people here today and they're not tomorrow, and it
seems like there's nothing lasting in this world. And that would
be true, but some things do last forever. And I like to say, I'm
getting this out of the last portion of verse 6. where he
says, but my salvation shall be forever and my righteousness
shall not be abolished. And that's a good thing. That's
a very good thing. Well, let's look, let's read
through these verses four, five and six, and then we'll have
some comments to be made out of each particular verse. God
says, hearken unto me, my people. And give ear unto me, O my nation,
for a law shall proceed from me, and I will make my judgment
to rest for a light of the people. My righteousness is near, my
salvation is gone forth, and mine arms shall judge the people,
the isles shall wait upon me, and on my arm shall they trust. Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
and look upon the earth beneath. For the heavens shall vanish
away like smoke, and the earth shall wax old like a garment,
and they that dwell therein shall die in like manner. But my salvation
shall be forever, and my righteousness shall not be abolished. He says
in verse 4, excuse me, he says in verse For by Isaiah 51, hearken
unto me, my people, hear me and give audience to these my honorable
statements of sure promise. Again, it's Jehovah God speaking
to us. And when he says hearken to me
and give ear, we should do that. Now, like Bruce had mentioned
in Bible class, Unfortunately, we have a tendency to give more
honor to those who we highly esteem or those that seem to
be something in the world. If one of my customers, one of
the secretaries on my route says, I need you to do something for
me, I should pay attention, I should do it. But now if the president
of that company says something, you know we're going to be held
at attention. And that's the way we are. Those who are of higher authority,
we give more respect, we give more attention to. But you can't
get any higher than the one whom we're addressing, the one whom
we're speaking of, the Lord God, who says, hearken to me, and
he's specifically speaking to his people. And he says, listen
to these statements, honorable statements of sure promise. He
says in verse four, a law shall proceed from me, and I will make
my judgment to rest for a light of the people." What he's saying
here in this verse is the things that I do, I will do in mercy
and in light towards my chosen people. Everything that God has
for his people In His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, it's in mercy,
and it is for to give us light and understanding. We can't say,
well, we didn't fully understand this if we believe the Lord has
taught us in that area. Now, people will teach us certain
things, and we often forget those. But if God teaches you, truly
teaches you the Gospel, How it is that God can be just and yet
justify the ungodly, and not compromise his position, not
compromise his nature, not compromise his attributes. If he teaches
us those things, like Bruce said again this morning in Bible class,
it's not how much faith you have, it's the fact of faith. If you
know him, He's revealed himself to you. But he says, I will make
my judgment, my word. His word is a light for his people,
his judgment, his word to rest for a light of my people. Turn
to John 17. Turn to John 17. Look at John 17, look at verse
17, we'll look at a couple of passages here. He says in verse
17, Sanctify them through thy truth, thy word is truth. Thy word is truth. And he says,
I will make my judgment, my word, the things which I speak to rest
for a light. We have no comfort of God, from
God, outside of this word. Not my opinion, not your opinion
of what we think God thinks, but what this book says. That
is why when we gather together, when we worship Him, we have
a time set aside when we read the scripture. Because who knows
whether I'll fall flat on my face or whether The things which
I say, whether they'll be connected correctly, the outline is where
you can follow it. But one thing for sure, when
this book is open, we reverence this book because it's the written
word about the living word. Take it by them through thy truth,
thy word is truth. That's why we so highly esteem
this book. That's why we don't trivialize this book. That's
why we don't play games with this book. We have them with
us on our laps and we read them. And whoever's up here preaching,
all these men that we've had come preach, preach God's gospel,
they're preaching out of this book. Not necessarily somebody's
comments about what's been in this book, but a message from
this book that God has laid on our hearts. I know when I was
raised in religion, never in however many years it was until
I went away to college, we ever had a Bible with us. All we had were those hymnals
behind the pew, and we opened those things up and had those
responsive readings. I'm assuming the preacher preached
to you about it. I think he had one, but we never
had one. We never brought one. Look at John 17, just a few things
here, verses 1 and 2. We're going to look at verse
1 and 2, 8, 9, 14, and then 20. These words spake Jesus and lifted
up his eyes to heaven and said, Father, the hour has come. Glorify
thy son. that thy son also may glorify
thee, as thou hast given him power over all flesh, that he
should give eternal life to as many as thou hast given him."
Light. Light. Look at verses 8 and 9. For I have given unto them the
words which thou gavest me, and they have received them, and
have known surely that I came out from thee, and that they
have believed that thou didst send me." Verse 9, I pray for
them, I pray not for the world, but for them which thou hast
given me, for they are thine. And the reason why I had that
verse set in there is because In our text, hearken unto me,
O my people, and give ear unto me, O my nation. This prayer,
this high priestly prayer in John 17 is for his people and
the church only. Just this section that we're
looking at, he's specifically speaking to the church and his
people. And as Christ said the same thing,
I pray for them and not for the world, but for them which thou
hast given me, for they are thine. Look at verse 14. I have given them thy word, and
the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world, even
as I am not of the world. The world, especially this religious
world, do anything But follow what this book says. Follow what
the judgment of this book says. Why? Because men love darkness
rather than light because their deeds are evil. Our Father, through
the Lord Jesus Christ, and in this text in Isaiah says, I will
make my judgment to rest for a light of the people. We love
the light. It shows us, yes it shows us
our sin, but it shows us the Lord Jesus Christ. The believer,
unfortunately, we fear many things, but we don't fear when the gospel
is preached that it's going to expose us. You know, we have
to have our sin continually shown to us. And how is that done?
Thy word. Thy word is truth. I have given
them thy word. And they, so we might be able
to see, to have light to see. Him and to see ourselves and
our nature and His nature and all of His beauty and splendor.
And how is it that we can glorify Him as we live in this world?
But the world, He spoke the word to them and they didn't understand
it. They despised it. They hated it because they had
their traditions. They had their denominational
ties. They had all these things. Well, we don't do that here.
We don't do that in this church because this is how we do things.
Well, is this what the book says? Well, no, this is what was handed
down. Well, throw it out. Throw it
out. I went to a customer that I have
in Marion, Illinois. It's the First Baptist Church
and they just got done adding on. They added on sanctuary, is what
they called it, probably the size of the First Baptist Church
in Cape. And they moved my cabinets around. They've got four cabinets. The
church has got four first aid cabinets. And the assistant preacher,
I never met the preacher. I always deal with the assistant.
He was just bubbling. He said, Oh, we got the new sanctuary
open. Let me show you where the new
cabinet is. And he goes, Be careful. You might get lost in this place.
I thought, Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just just give me your money.
That's all I'm after. You know, I don't, you know,
whatever, you know, just just pay your bill. And sure enough,
you know, and I had to peek, you know, I wanted to peek into
the it's just It's got the screens. It's got the choir. And it's
got a little section for the pulpit because, you know, we
don't want to spend much time behind it. And then it's got
everything just... It's huge. But is the Word, I'm sort of
thinking, is the Word preached here? What's going on? Is God's gospel honored? Is his
judgment spoken of? Because that's light. Because
Christ is light. No. I'm sure what's going on
there was exactly when I looked in that sanctuary, it didn't
have any lights on, it was dark. I'm sure I thought, well, that's
probably exactly what goes on Wednesday nights and Sunday.
It's dark. And he told me, now when you
get done, you know, turn the lights off. When you get done,
they got a cabin over here, they got a cabin here. Turn the lights
off. You know, wherever I go, I got to turn the light on and
we got to conserve the money. But I thought spiritually, no,
that's the way it is. It's everything's dark around
here. But no. When we open this book, we must
search for him in this book of books. How do we know his will? By his revealed will in this
book. This world affords the child
of grace no light, but we can rest assured based on back in
our text in Isaiah 51 and verse 4, we can rest assured that we
have light through the word of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thy word
is truth. There's no light out here. But
thanks be to God, and he says, I, look at how he says it, I
will make my judgment to rest for a light of the people. Promise,
that's a promise. If you come to him, you come
to light. It might not be, it doesn't seem
like it shines very bright at times, at least within us, but
we know whom we have believed. Because, as he said in John 17,
I've given them the word and they've received it. Look at
verse 5, the second promise. He promises of strength and rest. He says, My righteousness is
near, my salvation is gone forth, and mine arm shall judge the
people, the isles shall wait upon me, and on my arm shall
they trust. We're not leaning and resting
upon the arm of our flesh or upon the feet of clay. But we
lean upon the everlasting sovereign strong arm of God Almighty. These
arms which shall judge and crush our enemies are used to comfort
and support us. The isles shall wait upon me
and on my arm shall they trust. The arm of his strength, the
arm of his power, the arm of his sovereignty, the arm of his
grace, the arms that reaches to the uttermost. The church does not stand because
of her genealogy, or her goodness, or her worth, but we stand because
he upholds us by grace, mercy, and compassion. That's why This
group, as big or small as it is, that's why we're still here.
Because you know our history, but there's
no way that we should still be here. There's just no way. The
only reason why we stand is not because of what might have been,
what could have been, or what should have been, but because
of what is. by His arm and what He's graced us. But look at verse
6. And that which He does, that's
what's leading to this last part of this verse 6. That which He
does in you and for us here in Jackson is going to last. Some things do last forever. It doesn't start out that way.
Look at verse 6. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look upon
the earth beneath, for the heavens They're going to vanish away.
The earth is going to wax away like an old garment. And they
that dwell therein shall die in like manner. If that's all,
if that's all that you have, that's all that you desire, that's
all that you want, the same with me, is that what this world has
to offer, it's going to go away. It's going to perish. There's
some companies that I've been servicing for seven, going on
eight years. I thought there's no way that they're, I mean,
they're solid. Well, the last four months I've
had more closures and buyouts and whatever than since I've
been with the company. Closed. And then Bruce told me
about Dana. I knew that was coming, but I
didn't know when. Well, that gives me a little,
a year or two, a year and a half anyway. But all this world has is going
to vanish away. All that we hold dear to us in
our flesh shall wax old and most certainly vanish away. But all
and all the religionist thinks will keep him in good stead is
going to melt away to nothingness. But I thought my baptisms were
going to keep me. But I thought my church attendance
was going to... I thought my communion, I thought this, I
thought that, was going to vanish away. It's because it says, and
they that dwell therein shall die in like manner. But, there's
that blessed but. Man's free will is going to amount
to nothing. Works under salvation is going
to be less than nothing. Decisions, easy believism, tradition,
shall all be found wanting in that day of days but two things
here to close but his salvation shall be forever and secondly
his righteousness shall not be abolished his salvation his salvation
which is in the Lord Jesus Christ forever his salvation which is
in His Son's work for us. In His Son's righteousness given
to us. His Son's death, burial and resurrection
in our room and stead. It cannot be altered. It cannot
be changed or nullified. It's forever. It's eternal. It's everlasting and essential
to the redeeming of our souls. And I'm thankful. that is forever. Secondly, his righteousness. That which we must have in order
for God to accept us. There is, must be, the putting
away of our sin and also the imputed righteousness or imputed
perfections of Christ Jesus to our account to satisfy our debt. And he says, shall not be abolished. should not be abolished. And
if his righteousness is time-sensitive, so will our acceptance by God.
If his righteousness and salvation, if it's time-sensitive, it means
as it gets older in time, it loses its effect, or it can be
end, then so will our acceptance before
God. However, it's forever, as he states in this passage, it's
without end. Turn with me In closing to 2
Samuel chapter 23, we're going to see that just like Isaiah,
his hope and his peace was in God's salvation. We're going
to see so David's also 2 Samuel chapter 23. David knew the same gospel, same
salvation and the same righteousness that Isaiah speaks of here. And so do you this morning if
you trust and believe in Christ. 2 Samuel 23, starting in verse
1. Now these be the last words of
David. This is it. David, the son of
Jesse, he said, and the man who was raised up on high, the anointed
of the God of Jacob and the sweet psalmist of Israel, said this,
the spirit of the Lord spake by me and his word was in my
tongue. The God of Israel said, the rock of Israel spake to me.
He that ruleth over men must be just, ruling in the fear of
God. Excuse me, and he shall be as
a light of the morning when the sun rises, even a morning without
clouds as a tender grass springing out of the earth by clear shining
after rain. And this is the first I wanted
to get to. Although my house be not so with God, that's us
inconsistent. Uncontrollable. Here today, gone
tomorrow. Jobs come, jobs go. Members are among us. They move on in years, pass on. All these things are variable. Yet, He, the God whose salvation
is forever and righteousness is not to be abolished, He hath
made with me an everlasting covenant. ordered in all things and sure
for this, not what I've done, not what you've done, not what
you might be able to do, not your living, working, sweating,
but this is all my salvation and all my desire. Although he
make it not to grow, although I don't see it clearly as I should, This is all my salvation and
my desire. And I can also add, it's the
believers hope. It's the believers peace and
our rest. Don't you think he he could lay?
He knew that his children had not believed the gospel. He knew
that his family and house wasn't in order. And a lot of things
were not like he wanted them to be. I'm sure as every of us,
every one of us has. We get discouraged or whatnot,
but he says, I can go, I can, these last words, I can rest.
I can go to sleep. I have peace because I have a
God who has an everlasting covenant. The God and the covenant and
it's ordered. It wasn't random. It was set
before the foundation of the world. Pre-ordered, predestinated. Just like we were foreknown of
him, foreloved. Sure. It's sure. And this is all my salvation,
90% all, 100%. And this is my desire. So you see our hope, our rest
and our peace. It's in Christ. It's what he
did for us. It's the result of his work for
us. And fourthly, it's the nature
or the longevity of His work for us. That is our hope, our
rest, and our peace. It's in Him, what He did, the
result of what He did, and the nature of His work. It cannot
be altered or changed. It's a fourfold peace that's
found in the blessed promises of God which are all in the son
Jesus of Nazareth. Because this book tells us all
the promises in him, in him, are yea and amen. Stamped with
the seal of God, accepted. And the apostle tells us that
we are accepted in the beloved. I ask you this question in the
closing, I ask myself, can you rest Can you rest in Him and what
this book says about Him and for His people? My salvation
shall be forever and my righteousness shall not be abolished. It's
our only hope and peace. May God be honored and glorified
among us. the reading and preaching of
this book. Bruce, would you close?