January 7, 2024 Promises to Zion

Justin Morning, everybody for any of you who are new or visiting with us either in person or online. My name is Johnny Byrd, and I'm one of the teaching Elders here at Christ Fellowship. This morning. We are continuing our study in the book of Isaiah the second half of chapter 49 from verse 14 to 26 before we do. Let's open with a word of Prayer.

Gracious Heavenly Father. We are thankful for your presence. For your spirit within us and we pray will go before us and prepare our hearts that we might make an honest assessment of where we are. And we ask that you instruct us aright are thinking in our lives that you inspire us and challenges to do your will so that by Our Lives the name of the Lord. Jesus will be glorified. We ask these things in Jesus precious name. Amen.

Going back for a minute to Isaiah 42:8 of which form the first of the servants songs. We were introduced by the Lord to his servant the one who would come as a covenant mediator and agent of yahweh's divine salvation. And there the Lord spoke about and directly to his servant. Last time we were in the first half of Isaiah chapter 49 where we read the second of the servant songs this time. It is the servant himself who is speaking and we are given a clearer picture of his mission to restore Israel back into the promised land but there is a hint also that he has to restore them spiritually to bring them back to God it says and that's not all the servant will re-establish the Exile tribes of Jacob and restore the remnant. Yes, but he will also bring justice to all the nations delivering people all over the world. The sermon will be a light to the nation's so that the Lord salvation reaches to the very ends of the Earth. And then the second servant song. We are also giving a clearer picture of the identity of the servant. He is called my servant Israel. A because he says his mission is to bring Jacob back to God and to gather Israel to God. We know that the servant is not the nation is real he is someone from Jacob Israel. Who is the beneficiary of his ministry? The servant is Israel in some sense and at the same time as distinct from exiled Israel. The Moody Handbook of Messianic prophecy says this the servant is best identified as an ideal is real who is all that God intended the nation to be In contrast to exiled is real which failed to fulfill God's purposes. And we talk about this some previously that in the progress of biblical revelation. We learned that Jesus the Messiah is the servant depicted in this song. I can be no other person. And we skip the head briefly at the Christmas Eve service where we read Isaiah 53 and learned that the servant of the Lord this Covenant mediator of both Israel and the nation would bring Salvation by suffering the Judgment of God on behalf of the Mini. That was there at the center of the complex chiasm of Isaiah 53 at Verses 4 through 6. Surely our griefs. He himself bore. And our sorrows he carried yet. We ourselves esteemed him stricken smitten of God and Afflicted but he was pierced through for our transgressions. He was crushed for our iniquities the chastening for our well-being fell upon him and by his scourging we are healed. All of us like sheep have gone astray. Each of us has turned to his own way, but the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on him.

And after the servant suffered beyond our comprehension the Judgment of God on our behalf the Lord rewarded him for it. Making him high resurrected and list it up and greatly exalted to the right hand of God the father and he will reward him yet more for it eventually Elevate in Christ to kingship over the nation's. If you want a big or dacious scripture Memory project for yourself for 2024, I give you as a f53. from 52:13 through the end of the chapter 53 it would serve you well to Commit This to Memory. I'm going to Endeavor to do that myself this year. My favorite verse in the Bible when I have had memorized since I was a little child is Isaiah 53:6, which I learned in the King James version all we like sheep have gone astray. We have turned everyone to his own way. And the lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

It's a whole chapter too much for you. That would be the next best thing. Isaiah 53:6 or maybe versus Florida 60 that there was a hint that I'm bringing Israel back to God in chapter 49 that there was more than restoration to the promised land. There was a spiritual restoration at work by the sermon. Isaiah 53 makes this abundantly clear in the Apostle. Peter makes it even more playing for us in 1st Peter chapter 2. He himself bore our sins in his body on the cross so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness for by his wounds. You were healed.

Well before we begin today in Isaiah chapter 49 as they are 49 verses 1 through 13 that we covered last time the second servant song There the servant told us about his god-given mission to restore is real and to bring Salvation to the whole world and they're at the end of the second servant song. We had verse 13 Shout for Joy. Oh heavens and Rejoice O R Us Break Forth into joyful shouting. Oh Mountains for the Lord has comforted his people and will have compassion on his afflicted. you know if we went back to Isaiah chapter one, and I won't turn their but the Lord called the heavens and earth all creation as witnesses to Israel sinful Rebellion against And now here and Isaiah 4914. It is all creation again, the heavens and earth the mountains who are called by the servant of the Lord to Rejoice at the servants salvation. That is to come. We have to ask why why did God call all creation to Bear witness to his real Sin in Isaiah 1 and why now, does he call all creation to Rejoice at the servant bringing salvation? I think the answer is something important that we should not be quick to Breeze by as if this was all just grandiose language. It is not. Do you remember what Paul said about creation in Romans chapter 8 I'm not going to go there directly just yet. But in verses 19 to 23 Paul talks about the whole of creation groaning together suffering labor pains eagerly Desiring. The Revelation that is to come at the coming of the Lord Jesus the servant of the Lord in our Isaiah 49 why Paul tells us because creation will be released from bondage to corruption in to the liberty of the glory of the children of God. It is as though the creation itself because of the presence of corruption and death since the fall of Eden expresses an intense longing by Nature. release from his bondage That's what will one day happen at the servants second coming when God Sons will be manifested. Corruption and death will be removed from the natural world nature will no longer be in bondage to these things. So the response back in Isaiah 49 at the prospect of the servants mission to restore Israel and bring Salvation to all people Liberty even to the heavens and earth and all created things cause for rejoicing and joyful shouting for those who have been longing waiting or just that We pick up from there today at verse 14 of Isaiah 49 with Israel's response to the call for worldwide Joy, Isaiah 49 verse 14, but Zion said the Lord has abandoned me and the Lord has forgotten me. Not exactly a jubilant response of someone who is about to Break Forth into singing is it? No, it's the Grievous lament of a nation in during a long. Approaching 70 years of suffering in captive Exile and it will be the same suffering State of Mind of most of Israel during the Great Tribulation to come. What's a response reveals the state of Israel's heart before the Lord? These tribulations have been and will be judicial indeed. But instead of responding with genuine repentance towards God is real response in unbelief complaining of being forsaken by Jehovah forgotten by the Lord.

You know, this is not. the response the Lord would have us Have to suffering this is not what it should look like. Paul says it better than I can and will turn back to Romans 8 now. He says it in the very first just prior to what I already alluded to in Romans chapter 8 about around creation Eagle eagerly Desiring deliverance from bondage Romans 8:18 for I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us. That's the mindset of Christ who for the joy set before him endured the cross. But you're a child of God in you have the ultimate. Hope the ultimate future. Hopelessness should never take Serious old in your life because there is an antidote to hopelessness. First we must remember the Lord and what he's done set our minds on him. And second we must rest in his word. Its promises for us. Our Eternal are great. Israel would have been better off exercising her own memory than accusing the Lord of losing his so would we when our circumstances discourages? A space at like Israel our discouragement or hopelessness that we experience often arises. When are unchecked patients with the timing of God's plan leads us to doubt or even disillusionment about whether God has a plan for us at all. Logan has a response to such a doubt and it's not a rebuke the follows the Revelation about the Lord's servant was meant to provide comfort. To the Exiles and so the Lord answers not with a rebuke, but with Assurance listen. Can a woman forget her nursing child and have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget but I will not forget you. Behold I have inscribed you on the palms of my hands. Your walls are continually before me.

Aren't we as God's love for his people as undeniable as a mother's love for her child and exceeds it. God would never forget or abandon his chosen people. A nursing mother is more likely to forget her child. And that God would forget his Covenant people and the promise made to Abraham. And God says look I have engraved you on the palms of my hands. Some translations say tattooed here. I should just stick to that. God has a tattooed and just to make some of you wiggling your C.

Spirit and we are talking about his metaphorical hands, but the point is clear. Who's had a custom of marking on their hands a delineation of the City Jerusalem in the temple? It was a sign of their Devotion to and Perpetual remembrance of them. Graciously adopts the same figure to confirm his insurance. I've engraved you on my hands. The city walls are there two probably in there restored and perfect future condition. Now this is powerful to be carved into the hands of the almighty suggest the closest possible identification with God. It suggests his unchanging love and Perpetual mindfulness of us. Often times in our unbelief or forgetfulness of God. We lose sight of our preciousness. in his sight and Christ He never loses sight of us. This is a closeness or identification that is restricted to Israel as we have the same figure expressed in its fullness. I would say in the New Testament in the upper room or Jesus told his disciples just as the father has loved me. I have also loved you abide in my love. Israel May forsake God in in their blindness and Hardness of Heart. They are still doing it today. But God will never forget or forsake them. For those who doubt God's ultimate restoration of Israel. This passage is one for your careful consideration. All right. Let's continue with verses 17 to 21. Your Builders hurry your destroyers and Devastators will leave you raise your eyes and look around all of them gather together. They come to you as I live declares the Lord. He will certainly put them on all on his jewelry and buying them on as a bride for your ruins and deserted places and you're destroyed land. Now you will certainly be too cramped for the inhabitants and those who swallowed you will be far away. The children you lost will yet stay in your ears. The place is too cramped for me make room for me that I may live here. Then you will say in your heart who has fathered these for me since I have been bereaved of my children and cannot conceive. And I am an exile and a Wanderer and who has raised these behold. I was left alone. Where are these from? And this is not hard to interpret the Lord here is reaffirming his promise that the scattered Outcast of his nation is Nation People Israel will eventually be regathered back to their land and when we read you build your Builders hurry and your destroyers will leave you we have to be tempted to think of the return from Exile and connect what is said here with Nehemiah rebuilding the walls of Jerusalem, but the context and specifics mentioned for see a much greater return in much greater numbers of people in the distant future self returned in 539 BC from Babylon. Triumphantly so but most of the Exiles did not respond to Cyrus's Liberation decree around 50,000 Jews return to Judah from Milan, but the majority settle for the conference they knew and remained in Babylon. I think that leaves us with Isaiah looking beyond the Babylonian exile return to a future day and focusing here on the spiritual reality of people returning to the Lord as a result of the Divine work of Salvation and Redemption Christ. What was once a desolate Wasteland after the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians will be rebuilt and there will be so many returning to Jerusalem in Israel that it will be too cramped. They will need to make more space. There will be so many of God's people wanting to live there. Again. This is not a picture of some population explosion Baby Boom generation with more returning from the Babylonian exile. The never went other as-yet unexplained factors or involved here I'll give you a preview though. We read Isaiah 53 last time. We're at verse 10 is set of Jesus the suffering servant that he will see his offspring. The children of Zion spoken about prophetically here in Isaiah 49 are the seed of the suffering servant part of it not children of natural birth, but we cuz we know Jesus had no such children, but the first fruits of his redeemed children. Anna verse 21 the people surprised at the numbers of their offspring asked a series of questions who has begotten these it wasn't us we were exiled and wonder who reared these children from where did they come? The answer is about to be given from verse 22 to the end of the chapter. Listen.

This is what the Lord God says behold. I will lift up my hand to the nation's and set up my flag to the peoples and they will bring your sons and their arms and your daughters will be carried on their shoulders Kings will be your Guardians and their princes your nurses. They will bow down to you with their faces to the ground and lick the dust from your feet and you will know that I am the Lord those who hopefully wait for me will not be put to shame.

Are those verses are the first part of the answer as to how so many of Israel's children will be brought back to Israel the first part focuses on what the Nations will do to help restore Jerusalem's people the Nations will submit to Israel here. Raquel verse 14 is Isaiah chapter 45 where Egypt and other nations will say to Israel surely God is with you and there is none else. No other God the picture here in chapter 49 is wonderful feeling of that and it's a picture of political subservience. But I agree with Alex motyer Theologian who points out that everything the nation's do for Israel is in reality the recognition of spiritual indebtedness. So what God is promising to do is very clear here in these verses. He's telling captive Exiles of Israel whose numbers in captivity are shrinking and only a minority of whom will return that he the Lord is going to ultimately give them their children back Exile people usually disappear forever wiped out while in captivity. But God promises I'm not going to let that happen to you because you're my special people. I'm going to restore you to relationship with me, and I'm going to grow your offspring. I will not let you disappear as a people. We have to believe with all the Exiles and attempts exterminate the Jews throughout history. They continued even to this day enemies on their very doorstep today have said they want to wipe out Israel. If there is no good rational explanation for the survival of the Jewish people to this day save the protecting hand of almighty God and the promises we have right and Isaiah 49 and of course elsewhere in Scripture that he will not let them disappear as a people. And the Lord tells us what is ultimate purpose is in all this verse 23 and you will know that I am the Lord. In a long-run Zion will know that everything the Lord has promised has come about impossible though. It will seem looking back in history, but God's plans and his promises are inscrutable and cannot be thwarted and I'm sure many of you will recall the verse back in 40:31 the promise that those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength. They will Mount up with wings like eagles they will run and not get tired. They will walk and not become weary now here in 49:23. Something similar is stated this time in the negative those who hopefully wait for me will not be put to shame. In both places the exercise of patience is in view. You know, what are fast-moving Society or have it right now culture patience is in short supply. I remember the decline of the entire business at one of my old employers Starbucks merchandise that name.

There was a time when it was cool to walk into this big showroom with thousands of products and take a tag from the display to the checkout counter and wait for your purchase to come sliding down is conveyor belt. Well in time catalog showroom fell out of favor because people were waiting at the checkout just to 23 minutes longer then it other retailers. Consumers didn't have the patience for that. So Service Merchandise with the way of the dodo bird.

Cultural have it now mindset preaching to the Christian Life. If we aren't careful on a tuned to the way the Lord Works in a seemingly defeated abandoned existence is what a person can experience spiritually. The god means for us to have patience to Endeavor to persevere all that is difficult and adverse until the time for deliverance in the Lord's timetable comes. The ultimate Deliverance will come with the Lord's return. We don't know when that will be. But we must wait waiting remember earlier in Isaiah over and over is trusting those who wait who trust in the Lord will renew their strength and they will not be disappointed the hopeful person who trusting in God's promises Waits patiently for God's salvation to arise be a temporal or Eternal will not be disappointed when God asks to fulfill his promises. Alright, this final section carries the same theme of God ensuring the return of his children, but it deals more with what God will do to defeat evil Nations so that more people can return home. Listen. Can the prey be taken from a mighty man or the captives of a tyrant be rescued and Dee? This is what the Lord says even the captives of the mighty man will be taken away. And the prey of a tyrant will be rescued or I will contend with the one who contends with you and I will save your son's I will feed your oppressors with their own flesh and they will become drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine and Humanity will know that I the Lord and your savior and your Redeemer the mighty one of Jacob.

Now may not have made this clear already, but there are certainly parts of this chapter. Most of today's section that can only be viewed as being fulfilled in the day of the Lord and specifically the millennial Kingdom. Sure, Babylon could be the Mighty Man referred to and there is fulfillment of The Fray being taken from the Mighty Man and God taking his people out of Exile hell when he calls Cyrus to the but as we've said before they can be double fulfillment of Bible prophecy and a rent events around the second coming of Christ or mostly in view here. The captive to be rescued from the Tyrant are the Righteous ones in the Lord will snatch away from the hands of the Antichrist. This will spoil Satan's last-ditch attempt to exterminate the Jews. So who can take captives from the Mighty Man and rescue pray from the Tyrant? The answer is inverse 25, which makes the identity of the prey and the rescue were playing for us. God says for I will contend with the one who contends with you and I will save your son's he's talking to Israel.

Like a next-level promise that fits right in with the promise to Abraham back in Genesis 12:3 where God says I will bless those who bless you and the one who curses you. I will curse, doesn't it? I'll tell you something else about the force of that verse 25. I will contend the Lord says I think the force of that statement by the Lord emphasizes that it is the Lord who will act as needed on behalf of his people his role is front and center in all events or acts of Deliverance of Israel. He doesn't need Cyrus though. He is the one he calls to the task. He doesn't need the United States today to defend Israel. Either God Almighty is the actor on the stage of history and he is the ultimate defender of Israel. Verse 26 gets very graphic. I will feed your oppressors with their own flesh and they will become drunk with their own blood as with sweet wine. The final Destiny of God's enemies is not pretty is it? I don't think this refers to cannibalistic eating but it means that these enemies will self-destruct. They will turn on each other just as happened to the moabites edomites and Emma nights when they were opposed by Jehoshaphat in 2nd Chronicles chapter 20 and much like when Gideon's 300 men surrounded the midianites in Judges 7 in a million a million eyes began killing one another Also the drunk with blood statement Shirley costume on Revelation chapter 14. I wear the trodden winepress spills blood to a height of the horses bridles for 200 miles. What's the purpose of all this? God's ultimate preservation of Israel. Yes, but he tells us pointedly here at the end of verse 26 why Converse 23 that All Flesh will know that I the Lord am your savior and your Redeemer the mighty one of Jacob. So not just Israel as in verse 23, but that All Flesh all people will know who God is. It's a bloody picture here, but don't get bogged down on that point. The main point is that God will do these things so that we may know him his character who he is. God wants us to know him. Unless you jump off from there to our first closing point of application. God's goals, at least in part from his actions here and Isaiah 49. He tells us or for us again to know him. the main goal of Our Lives not to have a great job. our growing family Are you go to church or even to win people to Christ great as that would be the main goal of life is to know God remember Philippians chapter 3 Paul talks about this. He said if anyone had reason to be confident in The Flash and his own accomplishments, it was he falls at Shipman's were great, but he said he counted it all rubbish all done that he would happily lose it all and be called a fool. compared to the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus as Lord the first step to knowing him. Is to recognize him for who he is by trusting him putting your faith in Christ recognizing that by his sacrifice on the cross. He has redeemed. That's the only way to be reconciled to God and to possess eternal life which Jesus tells us in John's gospel is this to know you the only true God and him who you whom you have sent Jesus Christ. That is the purpose for which he redeemed us to know him. To experience who he is in your life and taste is matchless Grace. How is your eternal life experience going today?

A final point for today is more of an application question for us to consider and that is how did these closing verses and Isaiah 49 apply to Israel and the world today in the Israel Hamas conflict in Gaza. If they apply how do they apply for you and me?

I think I'm mostly a verse 25 for the Lord says I will contend with the one who contends with you. He said that the ultimate fulfillment of this verse comes in the day of the Lord leading into the millennium. But what about what's going on today?

We got a lot of people in this country, especially younger people. Thor waking up to choosing sides for or against Israel Based on what has transpired in Israel and Gaza. Let me just say I am not up here to be anyway political I will not be but I am here to be spiritual with you on the issue. I seen what you mean is a surprising turn in the sentiment of the world towards Israel a more anti-semitic term. I guess it shouldn't be surprising is Satan has long sought to wipe out Israel and he will continue to on all the way to Armageddon. I'm not up here today telling you that is real today is righteous. I will tell you on the authority of scripture though that Israel is chosen. And out of present-day Israel and Jews worldwide. They will be a holy Remnant that turns to God in the tribulation and our regather to the promised land. Nothing can stop that regathering from happening. It is the Lord's program for Israel and for this world. It's the same regathering of Israel. That is one fulfillment of our Isaiah 49 passage today, Verse 18 all of them gather together and so forth. And you know, what is going to happen when the Lord re gathers his real at his return. Just like today where I say, there is a surprising more anti-semitic turn against Israel in that day or Isaiah 49 check today testifies at least that there will be another surprising turn in the sentiment of many world powers towards Israel, but it will be positive people and Nations will be bending over backwards when the Lord lift up his hands to the nation's to bring the last the rest of the Lord's Chosen People Israel back home to the promised land.

Did you know that the Israel we see on the maps the land that is today legally Israel and all of Palestine Palestine and he contested or manage region does not make up all of the Promised Land. If we use the boundary set by God in Genesis 15 for what he promised Abraham as a guide to determine what land in the Middle East over which there should be justifiably Jewish sovereignty. It wouldn't include just modern-day Palestine and Israel. It would include parts of Jordan Lebanon Syria Iraq, Saudi Arabia and no wonder Israel has few allies in the region. Now, let me really blow your mind. The promised land eventually will be a lot bigger than that. Genesis 28:14 is where God reaffirms the abrahamic Covenant promised to Jacob. Any tells Jacob that his descendants will be like the dust of the earth and will spread out to the west and to the East and to the north and to the South and in him and his attendance. All the families of the earth will be blessed. Paul talks about this in Romans chapter 4 you can go there now or later Romans 4:13 the promise that Abraham would be heir of the world through the righteousness of faith. Listen to Millennial Kingdom. And the Eternal world to come we're going to be populated and possessed by Abraham's spiritual descendants both Jewish and Gentile. All of them will be recipients of the abrahamic blessing of the righteousness of faith. That is our future and the future of bulimic believing redeemed Israel. It all comes into clear focus with a little bible study. And I don't know about you, but when God says I will contend with the one who contends with you. And the you there is is real. I don't think you want to be on the side of anything that is contending with God. It is your place as a believer in Jesus Christ to side with Israel. That doesn't mean you have to agree with every decision is real mix. We should pray for and urge our country's leaders. They use their influence to promote peace to denounce human rights violations and enslaving people and everything else. Even when the wrong is committed by Israel. But at the end of the day your default is your support is that you support and shoe sides with with Israel to choose against Israel is to contend with the Lord and let me give you a little mind picture of what happens to all the people who go to war against Israel in the tribulation during The Siege of Jerusalem by all the nations at the battle of Armageddon Zechariah Chapter 14 with which the Lord will strike all the people who have gone to war against Jerusalem. Their flesh will rot while they stand on their feet and their eyes will rot in their sockets and their tongue will rot in their mouth. a pretty picture

Rafer is real. Ray for the Palestinians the people of Gaza pray for the souls of all these groups that they might come to know the one true God and his son Jesus.

Heavenly father. Thank you for your encouraging word to us today. Thank you for your Holy Spirit who comforts in AIDS us and for your son Jesus our savior who has redeemed us. We rest in the certainty of the things you will do as part of your plans. Plans that started long ago that you have executed with perfect faithfulness. We pray in Jesus awesome and precious name. Amen.