This chapter contains some awful,
awful prophecies concerning what was coming upon the nation of
Judah, the nation to which Isaiah served as a prophet. If you notice
in verse one, there's coming a famine. For behold, the Lord,
the Lord of hosts, to take away from Jerusalem and from Judah
the stay and the staff, the whole stay of bread and the whole stay
of water. You notice that word whole, the
whole stay of bread and the whole stay of water. Bread is the staff
of life and water is not a luxury, it is a necessity. And God would
bring a severe famine upon this nation and upon the city of Jerusalem. The city of Jerusalem suffered
several of these famines. I want you to keep your places
here, but I want you to turn back with me, if you will, to
Deuteronomy chapter 28. And I have us turn here because I want
us to see that before Moses died, before the nation of Israel actually
crossed over Jordan and entered into the land of promise, that
these famines were foretold. If you will, here in Deuteronomy
chapter 28, and when I say famine, I'm not talking about just some
shortage of bread and rationing of water. I'm talking about a
severe famine. And as we look at this passage,
we see just how severe the famine was. So severe that men and women
would actually eat their children. Now that's severe, isn't it?
It really is. Deuteronomy chapter 28, beginning
with verse 49. The Lord shall bring a nation
against thee from far, from the end of the earth. As swift as
the eagle fly, a nation whose tongue thou shalt not understand,
a nation of fierce countenance which shall not regard the person
of the old nor show favor to the young. And he shall eat the
fruit of thy cattle and the fruit of thy land until thou be destroyed. which also shall not leave thee
either corn, wine, or oil, or the increase of thy kind, or
flocks of thy sheep, until he have destroyed thee. And he shall
besiege thee in all thy gates, until thy high and fenced walls
come down, wherein thou trustest throughout all thy land. And
he shall besiege thee in all thy gates, throughout all thy
land, which the Lord thy God hath given thee. And now notice,
and thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh
of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the Lord thy God hath given
thee, in the siege and in the straightness wherewith thine
enemies shall distress thee. God promises in the first verse
of this third chapter of Isaiah a severe, severe famine that
he would bring upon Judah. Now, the city of Samaria, which
was the capital of the northern kingdom after Israel was divided
into two kingdoms during the days of Elisha, you will remember,
that they had this happen in Samaria, that they were eating
their own flesh and blood. And we know this was coming when
Babylon, the Chaldeans, when they came and encamped Nebuchadnezzar
around Jerusalem. This also happened in AD 70. when the Romans surrounded the
city of Jerusalem. And according to Josephus, the
Jewish historian, this was taking place in the city before it was
completely destroyed by the Roman soldiers. So that's the first
thing I see in this chapter. As I said, a chapter that contains
awful, awful prophecies concerning what was coming upon the nation
of Judah. Then look down to the last two
verses in this chapter, verses 25 and 26. Thy men shall fall
by the sword, and thy mighty in the war, and her gate shall
lament and mourn. and she being desolate shall
sit upon the ground. The word desolate, if you look
in your margin, empty. The city would be emptied. And
the mighty men, the soldiers, the valiant men who had defended
the nation, and by whom God had given victory many times when
their trust was in him, But now they had turned to idolatry,
to worship false so-called gods. All this calamity, this destruction,
this famine, these horrible things that would come upon the nation. And notice this, they had only
themselves to thank for these things that they suffered. Notice
in verses eight and nine. They could only thank themselves
for all of these awful things that God was going to bring upon
them. Verse eight says, for Jerusalem
is ruined and Judah is fallen because their tongue and their
doings are against the Lord to provoke the eyes of his glory. The show of their countenance
doth witness against them. And they declare their sin as
Sodom. They hide it not. Woe unto their
soul. Now notice, for they have rewarded
evil unto themselves. They had only themselves to thank
for all of these awful things that God tells them through the
prophet Isaiah is going to come upon them. In reading through
this chapter, I find one bright spot. I found one bright spot
in this chapter filled with woes. What is it? It is God's word
to the righteous. If you notice in verse 10, say
ye to the righteous that it shall be well with him. I found one
bright spot in this chapter that's filled with woes. calamities
and prophecies of difficult and hard things that God would bring
upon this nation, one bright spot, say ye to the righteous
that it shall be well with him. And I want to speak to us this
morning, I want us to consider four truths from this statement.
Say ye to the righteous that it shall be well with him, for
they shall eat of the fruit of their doings. First, it is ever
true, it is ever true that God has some righteous or just in
this world. It is ever true. If at this time
there had been no righteous, none just, then I can't believe
that God would have told the prophet to speak to them. And
to say unto them, say ye to the righteous, that it shall be well
with him. Isaiah himself, he was a righteous
man. And this word righteous, say
ye to the righteous. That word righteous is the same
word that is sometimes translated just, just. In Habakkuk 2 in
verse 4, that scripture that is quoted four times in the New
Testament showing how men are justified. The just shall live
by his faith. That word just, the just, the
righteous shall live by his faith. What I'm saying first of all
is this, that it is ever true, it is ever true, it's always
true that God has his righteous in this world. No matter how
bad and how awful things may appear, and it may seem that
there's none righteous in the world, God always has his people,
his just, his righteous in this world. You know, I say this because
you know one of God's prophets, and he was a great prophet too,
Elijah. One of his prophets at one time
thought he was the only righteous person in the world. Listen to
Elijah as he spoke to the Lord. The children of Israel have forsaken
thy covenant. That was true. Thrown down thine
altars. That was true. Slain thy prophets
with the sword. That was true. But now notice,
and I, even I only, am left. That was not true. He thought
he was the only righteous man left. in the nation of Israel. You say, well, maybe he was referring
to the fact he was the only prophet left. And we do know that he
was one prophet who faced those 450 prophets of Baal on Mount
Carmel. We do know that. But listen,
we also know there were 100 prophets who were hidden in a cave during
that time. Elijah was not the only prophet,
but that's not what he's saying. What he is saying is, I'm the
only righteous person in this nation. The Lord show, when the
Lord answered him, the Lord's words show us that he was speaking
about himself as being the only righteous person. Not the only
prophet, but the only righteous person in the nation. The Lord
said unto him, when Isaiah said that, yet I, and it's emphatic,
yet I, I'm the only one. And the Lord spoke to him and
said, yet I have left me 7,000 in Israel, all the knees which
have not bowed unto Baal, and every mouth that has not kissed
him. God always God ever has some
righteous in this world. And the apostle Paul takes that
verse of scripture, or that historical event with Elijah, in Romans
chapter 11, and he uses it to show that there's always a remnant,
a righteous remnant according to the election of grace. God ever has a righteous people
in this world. Sometimes less, sometimes more. In the days before the flood,
we know this, Noah, what was he? He was a preacher of righteousness. And he, along with the other
seven, were saved in the ark in the day when God destroyed
all flesh upon this earth. His earth, I might say. by water. And when God destroyed Sodom
and Gomorrah, there was one righteous man for sure who lived in Sodom
and Gomorrah, and he was delivered. God ever has some righteous. The second thing I would have
us to consider is, it is ever true It is ever true that there
is only one way that a person is made righteous. There's only
one way that a person becomes righteous. Men are not righteous
by nature. And contrary to what people like
to believe, babies are not little angels when they come into this
world. In fact, the scriptures reveal
unto us that babies, that children, that we all go astray from the
womb, from the womb, speaking lies. Romans chapter three, where
the apostle Paul is showing how that all men are lost, both Jews
and Gentiles. He quotes from the Old Testament,
the word that says there's an unrighteous, no, not one. There's none who is born into
this world who is righteous. You were not born righteous,
and then you reach an age of accountability, and that makes,
no, no. All men are born sinners. There's none righteous, no, not
one. To be a righteous person, a man
or woman, boy or girl, must be made righteous, must be made
declared to be righteous, and God has only one way of doing
it. There's only one way that a person
who comes into this world unrighteous may be made or declared righteous. There's not two ways, three ways,
or anything. There's one way. There's one
way. In Hebrews chapter 11, we read
this about Abel. The scripture there says, he
obtained witness that he was righteous. Here's this man by the name of
Abel, Adam and Eve's son. And he obtained witness that
he was righteous. Listen to the verse, Hebrews
11 and verse 4. By faith, Abel offered unto God
a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by the which, by the which
he obtained witness that he was righteous. He obtained witness
that he was righteous, and there are two things that are said
about him before we're told that he obtained that witness, that
he was righteous. We read about his faith and we
read about his offering, his sacrifice. More excellent sacrifice
than what his brother Cain offered. Now, Abel offered a lamb, a sacrifice
of blood. And we know that that lamb that
he offered was a type and a picture as a Passover lamb And the lambs
that were offered every day under the law of Moses in the tabernacle
and then in the temple, they were all types and they were
all pictures of God's lamb. God's lamb. I remember John the
Baptist, none greater born of women. He
had the privilege of pointing him out. Behold, the Lamb of God which
taketh away the sins of the world. Abel, he offered unto God a more
excellent sacrifice. In other words, he believed,
he trusted in the sacrifice that his Lamb pictured. His Lamb was
a type of that Lamb who would be the seed of the woman that
God had declared should come into this world. He obtained
witness that he was righteous. Why? Because of his faith in
that one sacrifice, the Lamb of God, the Lord Jesus Christ. It is ever true that there's
only one way that a person is made righteous. Turn with me
to Romans chapter four. And this is what the apostle
in the letter of Romans is dealing with almost halfway through,
is how is it possible that a man might be just with God? That's
what Job asked, wasn't it? He had that question. How can
man who drinketh iniquity like water, how can he be just with
God? Romans chapter 4, verse 1. What shall we say then that Abraham
our father as pertaining to the flesh hath found? For if Abraham
were justified, if he was made righteous, declared righteous,
if he was justified by works, whereof he hath, whereof to glory,
but not before God. What is he saying here? He's
saying that the one way that God has to declare, to justify,
to make a man righteous is a way that allows man not to glory
at all. Not to share in the least bit
in the glory of it. It's a work of God. And God receives
all the glory and all the praise. Abraham was a great man, and
the Jews, even till today, their father, the father of the national
Israel, the people, they respected him, they thought highly of him. None greater, maybe Moses. But how was he justified? That's
what Paul is saying. What did he find? Did he find
that he was justified by works? For what saith the Scripture? I like to have the Scripture,
don't you? I like to have my faith, my eternal
soul's welfare based upon the Word of God, not upon what some
church might come up with, what some holy man might determine,
but what God says in His Word. For what saith the Scripture? You want to argue with the scripture?
I don't think so. Well, I believe you have to believe
and be baptized. What sayeth the scripture? Well,
I believe you have to join a church and I believe you have to attend
mass and I believe you have to pay the preacher. I believe all these things. What
sayeth the scripture? That's what is all important.
What sayeth the scripture? And the scripture sayeth, Abraham
believed God and it was counted unto him for righteousness. It was imputed unto him for righteousness. Now to him that worketh is a
reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. Don't talk about
being saved by grace if you are also telling me that you have
to work to obtain your salvation. Grace and works, they just don't
mix when it comes to how a person is saved. But to him that worketh not,
but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly. His faith is counted
for righteousness. Now it's not his faith that's
counted to him for righteousness, it's the object of his faith.
Just like the object of Abel's faith wasn't that literal lamb,
but what that lamb pictured, the Lamb of God. He that believeth on him that
justifieth the ungodly, Man says, well, you've got to
clean up your life. No. No, you come to Christ, and your
life will be cleaned up. But that's not what you're to
do. Here's a man who's ungodly, and all of us are by nature,
and then by faith in Christ, we are declared, we are made
righteous. We're justified. And no one can
lay any charge against those whom God justifies. No one. Not all the devils in hell. Now
look down to verse 16. And this is important. Therefore it is of faith that
it might be by grace. You see, this is, it has to be
by faith if it is to be by grace. Salvation is by grace through
faith. And it is of faith that it might be by grace. Faith,
there's nothing worthy about faith. Faith is like an empty
hand, isn't it, that receives. A beggar standing or setting
beside the road and he holds out his hand and someone gives
unto him. His empty hand didn't merit the
gift, didn't deserve the gift, it received the gift. To as many
as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of
God, even to them which believe on his name. which were born,
not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of man, but
of God." It is, the apostle tells us, a faith that it might be
by grace to the end. Now notice this, to the end,
the promise might be sure to all the seed. What did I say
beginning this message? I said God ever has a remnant
according to the election of grace. And there is a chosen
seed, a chosen people which were given to Christ. as his seed,
and this is what we read here, it is a faith that it might be
by grace to the end, the promise might be sure, the promise of
everlasting life, of being made righteous might be sure to all,
A-L-L, all the seed. All that my father giveth me
shall come to me, and him that cometh to me, shall in no wise
cast out. Let's go back to our text now.
So first of all, it is ever true that there are righteous, God
has righteous, just people in this world. And it is ever true
that there's only one way that a person is made righteous. Are
we all agreed on this so far? I trust we are. If you're not,
shame on you. Here's the third thing. It is
ever true of the righteous, it shall be well with him. Now let that sink in. It shall
ever, always be true of the righteous, it shall be well with him. I thought about this and I thought
this is one of the many words in the word of God where the
words of that hymn certainly apply. What more can he say than
to you he has said, to you who for refuge to Jesus hath fled. Have you fled to Jesus for refuge? Then say ye to the righteous,
it shall be well with him. It shall be well with him. First
of all, at every age, at every age, it shall be well with him. Have you ever thought of life
under the emblems of the seasons of the year? There's springtime, with the
blooming of the flowers and the singing of the birds when we
are young. But youth has its special needs,
special trials, and special temptations. But say ye to the youth, those
who trust in Christ. The psalmist said, wherewithal
shall a young man cleanse his ways? And every young man and
every old man, we all need our ways cleansed by taking heed
thereto according to thy word. But say ye to the young in the
springtime of life with your particular problems and trials,
if you're one of God's children, if you're looking to him today,
it shall be well with you. And then comes summer. Now you're maybe married, starting
a young family, and you've got so many needs and so many burdens
and so many cares and so many things that cause you alarm and
anxiety. Say ye to the righteous, it shall
be well with him. God's able. And not only able,
but God supplies your needs as your day shall demand. Next comes the fall, the changing of the colors and
your hair begins to either turn gray or turn loose like mine
did. The fall of life comes. There's different burdens, different
trials, different problems. But say ye to the righteous,
it shall be well with him. And last of all comes winter,
old age. The time that Solomon described
like this in the book of Ecclesiastes, he said, the grinders are few.
That means the teeth. The teeth are few. And those
that look out the windows, their eyes are darkened, can't see
like we used to be able to see. And we rise up at the voice of
a bird, wake up at night just on a little sound before we could
sleep through a tornado. Teenagers, they can sleep through
a cyclone. Enjoy it while you're young.
That's all I've got to say. But in old age, we rise up at
the voice of a bird. But still the word is, say ye
to the righteous, it shall be well with them. Whatever. And not only whatever time of
life, but every condition of life. In health, when you're
strong and vigorous, say ye to the righteous, it shall be well
with him. And also when you're sick, laying
on a bed of suffering, say ye to the righteous, it shall be
well with him. And in times of prosperity, Say
ye to the righteous, it shall be well with him. And if God
sends times of poverty, this word is still true. Say ye to
the righteous, it shall be well with him. I thought about Lazarus,
a man named Lazarus that our Lord speaks about in Luke chapter
16. He was poor. He was a beggar. He was sick. He was laid outside the gates
of a rich man who had no concern for him. The rich man fared sumptuously
every day, had a big banquet set for him to feast upon, dressed
in the finest of clothes. But yet it was still true what
God tells Isaiah here, say ye to the righteous, it shall be
well with him. And when that last day of his
life in this world came, Lazarus, the angels came and escorted
him into the presence of God. And say ye to the wicked, we
didn't read this, but the following verse here in Isaiah 3, Say ye
to the wicked, it shall be ill with him. And that's what that
rich man found out on the day that he left this world. And
here's the last thing, fourth, for these reasons, for these
reasons, it is ever true of the righteous, it shall be well with
him. And I've marked down three reasons
why. This is always true, and I'll
just give them to us briefly. First of all, to the righteous,
you have God Almighty as your God and Father. You have God's
covenant promises. I shall be their God. How can
it not be well with the righteous who has God as his God and Father? How can it not be well? And number
two, you have your sins put away so that they can never be found
again. How can it not be well with the
righteous whose sins have been put away? And number three, you
have a bright hope given to you. What is this bright hope that's
given to you? Well, Fannie Crosby, the hymn
writer, wrote of it like this. Someday the silver card will
break, and I no more shall sing, but all the joy when I shall
wake within the palace of the king. And I shall see him face
to face and tell the story saved by grace. And I shall see him
face to face and tell the story saved by grace. And the apostle
John wrote of it like this. Beloved, now, today, September
the 8th, 2019, Now, beloved, we are the sons
of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be, but we know
that when He shall appear, we shall be like Him. Can anything be better than that? Can you imagine anything that
could possibly be better than that? To be like Him. for we shall see him as he is. And everyone that hath this hope
in him purifieth himself even as he is pure. How can it not
be well with the righteous who have this bright hope before
us? One day be like Christ. Not just
to be with him. Oh, that's going to be wonderful.
But to be like him. To be like him. Remember that hymn, Oh, to be
like thee. Oh, to be like thee. One day
we shall be, God willing. Let's sing this hymn that Fannie
Crosby wrote, Someday the silver card shall break, will break. Say ye to the righteous. That's
what I'm saying today to all of you here who trust in the
Lord Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and are made righteous,
justified by his blood. It's well with you. It's well
with you. Number 512, and let's stand as
we sing.