God's Resolutions or When God Says "I Will"
The Outstanding Facts About This Prophet
Very little is known of Isaiah’s personal history. Emphasis in the Bible is given to the message rather than to the man. (Irving L. Jensen)
However, let’s mention just a few facts about the man...
What Beethoven is in the realm of music, what Shakespeare is in the realm of literature, what Spurgeon was among the Victorian preachers, that is Isaiah among the prophets. (J. Sidlow Baxter)
Saint Jerome called Isaiah the evangelical prophet. (Alexander Whyte) And this is very appropriate for Isaiah is unique among the Old Testament prophets for his message of grace. The very name “Isaiah” means “the salvation of Jehovah,” and the word salvation is repeated 28 times in the book. (Warren Wiersbe)
Isaiah apparently was from a leading family, since he had access to several of the Jewish kings. (Wiersbe)
Rabbinic tradition has it that Isaiah’s father, Amoz (not Amos the prophet), was a brother of king Amaziah. This would make Isaiah first cousin to king Uzziah, and grandson of king Joash, and thus of royal blood, a man of the palace. (Halley’s Bible Handbook)
He was married (8:3) and the father of at least two sons whose names illustrate the two main messages of Isaiah’s book. Shear-jashub (7:3) means “a remnant shall return” and ties in with the second half of the prophecy, the return of the remnant from Babylon. Maher-shalal-hash-baz (8:1-3) means “speed to the spoil, haste to the prey” and ties in with chapters 1-39, the defeat of Assyria.
He began his ministry near the close of the reign of King Uzziah, about 758 B.C, and preached until the turn of the century. (Wiersbe) Tradition tells us he was sawn asunder by wicked King Manasseh, and Hebrews 11:37 is thought to refer to Isaiah’s death in this fashion.
The Outstanding Features Of This Prophetical Book
The Old Testament begins with a section of seventeen books, which are predominantly Historical in nature. Then follows the five poetical books, which are Experiential in nature. Finally, the Old Testament closes with a section of seventeen books, which are Prophetical in nature. Isaiah begins this section.
The book of Isaiah is generally regarded as one of the six greatest in the bible. The others are: Romans, John, the Psalms, Genesis, and Revelation. (Harold Wilmington)
It has been suggested that Isaiah’s book is like a “Bible in miniature.” Its sixty-six chapters are divided into two parts, thirty-nine chapters in the first division (like the 39 books of the OT) and twenty-seven chapters in the second division (like the 27 books of the NT). The first thirty-nine chapters emphasize judgment and condemnation; the last twenty-seven emphasize mercy and comfort. (Wiersbe)
The Jewish rabbis call Isaiah 40-66 “The Book of Consolation,” and their description is accurate. Addressed originally to the discouraged Jewish exiles returning to an impoverished land and a ruined temple, these chapters have brought comfort and hope to God’s people in every age and in every kind of difficult situation. (Wiersbe)
Charles Simeon wrote, “Few have any conception how close the analogy is between God’s dealings with his people of old, and his conduct towards his Church and people in the present day.” Even so in Isaiah, for his messages apply primarily to Israel, however the theme of the second part of the book, according to Edward J. Young, “is the Church Of God in its relations with God and man, and in its purpose, progress, (and) design.”
The Outstanding Facets Of This Passage
We See The Government Of God In His Retribution 42:21-25
Because of Israel’s sin God would allow two things to happen to them:
1. They Would Be “Spoiled” - robbed & ravaged
2. They Would Be “Snared” - as prisoners & as prey
(James 2:13) For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath showed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
We See The Grace Of God In His Redemption 43:1
1. He Created created
2. He Cultivated formed
3. He Covered The Cost Of redeemed
4. He Called called
5. He Claimed thou art mine
Note: The words “Fear not” are mentioned eight times in the book of Isaiah (Isaiah 7:4; 35:4; 41:13,14; 43:1; 43:5; 44:2; 54:4). Eight is the number of new beginnings, and it is as if God is saying through Isaiah, “Fear not. Though you will be carried away into captivity, there will be a new beginning!”
We See The Goodness Of God In His Resolutions 43:2,5,19
We may not be able to believe others’ resolutions or even our own, but God has made some resolutions, and you better believe He intends to keep them!
I. God Says “I Will Continue With You In The Difficult Places” vs. 2
A. Notice The Types Of Trials We Face
1. The Flood Of Life waters
2. The Flow Of Life rivers
Travelers who set out to the same place from different parts of the country pass through tracts different in their form and scenery, and some meet with rivers, which others avoid. (Preacher’s Homiletic Commentary)
3. The Fire Of Life
(1 Peter 4:12) Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you:
4. The Flame Of Life when thou walkest through the fire
Walking through the fire here is put for the severest form of trouble. (Spurgeon)
B. Notice The Triumph Over The Trials We Face
1. We Have A Safe Passage Through The Flood when thou passest
2. We Have A Sure Footing In The Flow not overflow
overflow - [Greek shataph] to gush; by implication it means to inundate, conquer; drown, overwhelm, rush, thoroughly wash away.
3. We Have A Surface That Is Fireproof not be burned
burned - [Greek kavah] to prick or penetrate; hence to blister; to brand or mark by burning, also appears to have the signification of hollowing or excavating.
The fiery trials won’t leave us hollowed out or empty on the inside!
4. We Have A Solid Firewall
kindle - [Greek ba'ar] consume by fire; also to take away, burn, waste.
II. God Says “I Will Call You Out Of The Distant Places” vs. 5
God seems to say, “I will do whatever is necessary to get you where you need to be.”
The Suggestions Of This Call: It Could Suggest Evangelism or Exhortation
A. The Proof Of This Call (The Supportive Evidence Of This Call - How do we know He will?)
1. The Evidence Of His History Supports It vs. 3
2. The Evidence Of His Heart Supports It vs. 4
B. The Panorama Of This Call (The Scope Of This Call – What does it include?)
1. It Includes All Geographical Points vs. 5-6
Even from Isaiah’s standpoint, the dispersion of Israel might well be contemplated in all this wide extent. The Ten Tribes were already carried off to the cities of the Medes (2 Kings 17:6). The Babylonian exile had its beginning under Esarhaddon (2 Chronicles 33:11). (Charles Ellicott)
2. It Includes All Of God’s People vs. 7
The Wycliffe Commentary states about Isaiah 43:5 that “the scattered exiles will be regathered from every geographical direction. But by implication the coming back to Zion seems to refer also to the gathering in of all the elect (v. 7) into the Church of Jesus Christ, for they include ‘every one ...whom I have created ... for my glory’.”
III. God Says “I Will Comfort You In The Dry Places” vs. 18-19
Sometimes it gets so dry and rough in the wilderness journey, we are tempted to go back, but God says...
A. Don’t Go Back ... vs. 18
1. To Try And Live In The Past Remember ye not the former things
remember - [Greek zakar] to mark (so as to be recognized); by implication it means to mention, be mindful, recount, record.
(Matthew 6:34) Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof.
2. To Try And Look At The Problems neither consider the things of old
consider - [Greek biyn] to separate mentally (or distinguish), understand, discern.
B. Don’t Give Up vs. 19
Perhaps you’re about to give up. You say you don’t know how God can possibly work this out. You know all of His methods, and none of them can help you.
God says, “I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it?”
1. He Will Make A Way I will even make a way in the wilderness
2. He Will Make Waters and rivers in the desert
Conclusion
An ill-prepared college student taking an economics exam just before Christmas vacation wrote on his paper. “Only God knows the answers to these questions. Merry Christmas!” The professor graded the papers and wrote this note: “God gets 100, you get 0. Happy New Year!” (Paul Lee Tan # 4558)