Isaiah 4:2-6 (2)
Notes
Transcript
Introduction
Introduction
[READING]
2 In that day the Branch of the Lord will be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth will be the pride and the adornment of the survivors of Israel. 3 It will come about that he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy—everyone who is recorded for life in Jerusalem. 4 When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and purged the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning, 5 then the Lord will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, even smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy. 6 There will be a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain.
[PRAYER]
[CONTEXT] Isaiah delivered to God’s people prophecies impending judgment and future salvation.
Following his prophecy of impending judgment on Judah in Isaiah 1, he prophesied future salvation at the beginning of Isaiah 2.
After a second prophecy of impending judgment through chapter 3, he gave another prophesy of future salvation here at he beginning of Isaiah 4.
These prophecies of future salvation will find their ultimate fulfillment in Jesus who in His first advent was born of virgin, died on a cross, and rose again, but will come in His second advent with the armies of heaven as King of kings and Lord of lords to rule and reign forevermore.
Then the nations will come to Him and say, “Teach us your ways!” (Isa. 2:3).
Then swords and spears will be beaten into plowshares and pruning hooks (Isa. 2:4b).
Then the beautiful and glorious Branch of the Lord will be the pride and adornment of His people (Isa. 4:2).
Then those saved by grace will be called holy— everyone who is recorded for life in the (New) Jerusalem (Isa. 4:3).
Having seen the Savior in Isaiah 4:2 and the saved in Isaiah 4:3, tonight we want to see the salvation and shelter in Isaiah 4:4-6.
[INTER] God has saved and will fully save His people through the Savior, Jesus, but how does He do it?
[TS] That brings us to vv. 4-5…
Major Ideas
Major Ideas
#1: The Salvation (vv. 4-5)
#1: The Salvation (vv. 4-5)
4 When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and purged the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning, 5 then the Lord will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, even smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy.
[EXP] Verse 4 clearly says that this salvation will come through judgment. It references ‘the Spirit of judgment’ and ‘the Spirit of burning,’ phrases which represent YHWH’s judgment by fire.
The Spirit of judgment and burning will consume the unbelieving and unrepentant, but the survivors of Israel (v. 2), those left in Jerusalem (v. 3) will be cleansed of their sins by God’s Spirit.
Their sins are referred to as ‘filth’ and ‘bloodshed’.
Filth refers to that which is repulsive, to human excrement or vomit. The daughters of Zion in Isaiah 3 thought of themselves as beautiful; God knew them as filthy.
Bloodshed refers to the shedding of innocent blood especially to the shedding of innocent blood by those leading citizens of Jerusalem already mentioned in Isaiah 3.
They had not loved the Lod their God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength; and they had not loved their neighbor as themselves.
Instead, they had adorned themselves with filthiness and shed innocent blood.
But God’s gracious judgment would wash them clean.
[ILLUS] Several years ago the church gifted me a grill. We have throughly enjoyed that grill. We grill chicken year round, hamburgers and hotdogs on the 4th of July, smoke a turkey at Thanksgiving, and we may do smoked ham this Christmas.
But in order to use the grill, it has to be cleaned, and the best cleaning solution is fire.
I get the grill hot enough to burn off anything unclean and then scrub the grill plate with a wire brush.
So far, no food has been contaminated by my fire-cleaned grill.
All those who live in the New Jerusalem will be uncontaminated by sin; they will be fire-cleaned.
[APP] When John the Baptist was preparing the way for Jesus, he said in Luke 3:16-17…
16 John answered and said to them all, “As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 17 “His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”
The cleansing judgment of fire spoken of Isaiah 4 is the cleansing of the Holy Spirit as He applies the blood of Jesus to those of us who believe.
Jesus suffered the judgment of God in our place upon the cross and by His blood we are cleansed.
The blood of Jesus has passed through the holy fire of God’s judgment, and everyone who believes in Him is covered by His blood and saved through the judgment that fell on Him.
Everyone needs cleansing. Do you see that you need cleansing?
Many of the folks in Isaiah’s day didn’t. They thought they were clean enough. Proverbs 30:12 would have describe them well…
12 There is a kind who is pure in his own eyes, Yet is not washed from his filthiness.
Isaiah has referred to the wicked, male leaders and the prideful women of Judah.
Both males and females need to be cleansed.
Isaiah referred to Jews who needed to be cleansed of their sins, but Gentiles need to be cleansed as well.
“For we have already charged that both Jews and Greeks are under sin,” (Rom. 3:9).
All who come in faith to Jesus will be cleansed of their sin as the Holy Spirit baptizes them in the fire of God’s judgment—the judgment that was poured out on Christ in our place as He suffered and died for us on the cross.
This is the only way to survive, the only way to be a part of that remnant that will inhabit the New Jerusalem.
[TS]…
#2: The Shelter (vv. 4-6)
#2: The Shelter (vv. 4-6)
4 When the Lord has washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and purged the bloodshed of Jerusalem from her midst, by the spirit of judgment and the spirit of burning, 5 then the Lord will create over the whole area of Mount Zion and over her assemblies a cloud by day, even smoke, and the brightness of a flaming fire by night; for over all the glory will be a canopy. 6 There will be a shelter to give shade from the heat by day, and refuge and protection from the storm and the rain.
[EXP] This word ‘create’ is the same word used in the account of creation in Genesis 1.
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
And its same word Isaiah later uses to describe the creation of the new heavens and earth when Christ comes in His glory.
17 “For behold, I create new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be remembered or come to mind.
This New Jerusalem will be apart of that new heavens and new earth.
A you see in v. 5, it will feature a cloud by day and a flaming fire by night.
During the Exodus, God’s presence was communicated to His people through a cloud by day and pillar of fire by night (Ex. 13:21-22; 24:16).
When the tabernacle was completed, the cloud of God’s presence covered it and the glory of the LORD filled it (Ex. 40:34.
Exodus 40:38 says, “the cloud of the LORD was on the tabernacle by day, and there was fire in it by night, in the sight of all the house of Israel.”
All Israel could see that God was with them.
When the temple was completed, fire came down from heaven, and the glory of the LORD filled it (2 Chron. 7:1).
2 Chronicles 7:2 says, “The priests could not enter into the house of the LORD because the glory of the LORD filled the house.”
But the sin of God’s people made it impossible for God’s presence to remain among them.
The prophet Ezekiel saw the departure of God’s presence from the temple. His exit began at the threshold of the temple and continued through the east gate.
But once God’s people are cleansed through judgment, God’s presence returns, and His presence is not limited to the temple; it is over the whole area of Mount Zion and over all her assemblies (i.e., worship gatherings, her churches).
The glory of God will fills the New Jerusalem and the presence of God covers it in a protective canopy.
God’s magnificent, intimate presence will be the shelter and shade of His people.
What will they be sheltered from? Well, as v. 6, says, “from the heat by day… from the storm and the rain.”
These symbols represent any danger that might threaten people of God.
God’s presence will ensure that nothing in the created universe will ever harm His people in the New Jerusalem.
Here’s how Revelations 21 describes it…
1 Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth; for the first heaven and the first earth passed away, and there is no longer any sea. 2 And I saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, made ready as a bride adorned for her husband. 3 And I heard a loud voice from the throne, saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is among men, and He will dwell among them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself will be among them, 4 and He will wipe away every tear from their eyes; and there will no longer be any death; there will no longer be any mourning, or crying, or pain; the first things have passed away.” 5 And He who sits on the throne said, “Behold, I am making all things new.” And He said, “Write, for these words are faithful and true.”
22 I saw no temple in it, for the Lord God the Almighty and the Lamb are its temple. 23 And the city has no need of the sun or of the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God has illumined it, and its lamp is the Lamb. 24 The nations will walk by its light, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. 25 In the daytime (for there will be no night there) its gates will never be closed; 26 and they will bring the glory and the honor of the nations into it; 27 and nothing unclean, and no one who practices abomination and lying, shall ever come into it, but only those whose names are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
[ILLUS] An old fable tells about a crane that was wading in a stream looking for snails when a beautiful swan landed nearby. The crane had never seen a swan before, so he asked, “What are you?”
“I’m a swan,” came the reply.
“And where did you come from?” the crane inquired.
“Heaven,” the swan answered.
“What is that?” asked the crane.
The swan eagerly began to explain its beauty and glory. He spoke of the new Jerusalem, the city of pure gold with a jasper wall and pearly gates. He described its pure river of water of life, clear as crystal.
At that point the crane interrupted, “Tell me, are there any snails in heaven?”
“No, I’m afraid not,” the swan said.
“Then I don’t care to go there,” the crane stated decisively. “I like snails!”
[APP] We have had, not a swan, but the Word of God in Isaiah and in Revelation describe to us the beauty and glory of the New Jerusalem.
Jesus, the Branch of the Lord, the Lamb of God, who is and will forever be the pride and adornment of those saved by grace and made holy through the judgment that fell on Him.
The cleansing of His blood as it is applied to us by His Holy Spirit.
The intimacy of His presence.
The magnificence of His glory.
The shelter of His protection.
Does this description increase our longing to go there?
Or are we too content with worldly “snails” to be enticed by the presence and glory of God and His Lamb?
If we are New Jerusalem people through faith in Jesus, then let’s be done with worldly “snails”; let’s obey the command of 1 John 2:15-17…
15 Do not love the world nor the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. 16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh and the lust of the eyes and the boastful pride of life, is not from the Father, but is from the world. 17 The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever.
[TS]…
Conclusion
Conclusion
[PRAYER]