Yahweh Saves

Isaiah is daunting - from very beginning we are overwhelmed with its immenseness, size of the book itself, the difficult passages, the enormity of God and His holiness

Isaiah is also inviting - we are drawn to it through verses like Isa. 1:18, Isa. 6, Isa.. 40:31; Isa. 53.

You will be amazed at how familiar Isaiah feels and how much of it you will recognise from other places

Isaiah is confronting (from the very beginning) but also comforting (Isa. 40:1)

Isaiah is the OT book most quoted in the NT

Jesus begins His ministry by reading & teaching from Isa. 61 (Lk. 4:14-30)

In fact, it is possible to write a detailed biography of Jesus from Isaiah alone

This is one reason why Isaiah is often thought of as the Gospel of the OT

It’s often likened to Romans also because of it’s rich & deep discussion of salvation

Though its events take place 700 years before Christ it is fresh and relevant today

It’s as if Isaiah is speaking to the people of God in 2024

READ Isaiah 1:1.

The whole book is one unified vision that speaks of judgment, salvation & restoration

We’re drawn deeply into eternal, divine truths through several events in Israel’s history

It’s a very tumultuous time in Israel

Inwardly they are weak, uncertain at the end of Uzziah’s 52 yr reign

Spiritually they were outwardly obedient but inwardly rebellious

Politically they were surrounded & pressured by enemies (especially Assyria)

In this tumultuous time when Israel’s kings would be weak and the kings of their enemies would oppress them God gives Isaiah a vision of The King (whole book)

Isaiah’s name gives us the theme of this vision: Yahweh Saves, salvation is of Yahweh

Immediately our attention is put on Yahweh, the King

Immediately we are overwhlemed by ‘the Holy One of Israel’

READ Isa. 1:2-31.

There is so much to understand & grasp here so to make the best use of our time as I read the passage I will simply update some wording (using NKJV) so I don’t have to explain or define them

Yahweh is Our Judge

Isaiah 1:2-9

The Judge (Isa. 1:2-3)

His Public Hearing

Picture seems to be like a courtroom

God calls Israel to account in front of the heavens & earth

Perhaps to call to remembrance the commitment made when they entered the Promised Land

Deuteronomy 30:19“19 I call heaven and earth as witnesses today against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; therefore choose life, that both you and your descendants may live;”

It also begins something we see all through Isaiah

Message to Judah echoes throughout the world

Their calling by God was to be a light, a witness to the world of God

With their rebellion being so plainly & publicly seen their judgment would be publicly seen

While this has very specific reference to Judah, its written so that we all will hear

We all must recognise ourselves in the people of Israel

His Personal Hurt

Though God stands as judge over their wickedness & rebellion He isn’t a dispassionate judge

He is personally invested in this message and in these people

Also clear that Isaiah is passionate about this too

God speaks about nourishing His children

Using Israel in Isa. 1:3 not just Judah suggests He is speaking in context of His covenant with them

This isn’t God arbitrarily & callously punishing because He doesn’t like what their doing

It is God showing His concern for a people He loves deeply

The Crime (Isa. 1:4-6)

Forsaken God

What is it that has brought God to this point?

They have rebelled, rejected, forsaken Him

Not just indifferent to God but living in opposition to God

As we will see, outwardly they still acted as if they followed God

They are corrupt, heavy with sin, living in sin

They have angered the Holy One of Israel

Here we are introduced to important theme of Isaiah’s vision: God is Holy!

This title is used over and over

We are to be overwhelmed by God’s holiness

Which speaks of His absolute purity but also is more than that

Holiness is separateness, that is God’s complete otherness to us

He is not just a really good version of us - He is not like us

He is our creator, He is above us in every way, He is overwhelmingly supreme

Isaiah 8:13“13 The Lord of hosts, Him you shall hallow; Let Him be your fear, And let Him be your dread.”

Isaiah 40:25“25 “To whom then will you liken Me, Or to whom shall I be equal?” says the Holy One.”

Isa. 43:3

In contrast we’re exposed to see just how different we are to God

Isaiah 64:6 “6 But we are all like an unclean thing, And all our righteousnesses are like filthy rags; We all fade as a leaf, And our iniquities, like the wind, Have taken us away.”

Like Israel, we too are people weighed down with iniquity, angering the Holy God

Continued in Rebellion

Our sin has resulted in painful consequence

For Judah it includes their political situation & oppression but also personal expressions too

Yet despite the pain that sin causes they continue in rebellion to God

Yet again Judah is an example of our own lives

Sin strikes and beats us and we suffer in many ways

Life filled with anger, resentment, bitterness

Life feels like we’re constantly being beaten down

Our marriages are passionless, empty, violent

Our children lost, confused, rebellious

Our nations struggle to find any moral compass

Despite all the damage we clearly experience in life we keep going back for more

Why? We are wholly sick, our wounds from sin are exposed & infected

We haven’t dealt with the issues of rebellion in our life and so the affect compounds

Just as sin is shown to affect all of Israel so it affects all of humanity

Isaiah 53:6 “6 All we like sheep have gone astray; We have turned, every one, to his own way; And the Lord has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.”

Isa. 64:6 - we are ALL like an unclean thing

The Consequences (Isa. 1:7-9)

Brought to Ruin

That sin not only ruins who we are but desolates everything around us

Sin leaves us exposed to guilt, abuse, perversion & oppression by others

It leaves us weak, empty, unsatisfied

It leaves us without defense & exposed to danger from evil around us

We’re like a hut in a field

Temporary booths, huts put up in the field during harvest

Don’t be deceived sin will bring your life to ruin

Don’t be deceived, you cannot keep it hidden

Like God does here to Judah your sin will be exposed

Given Hope

Here is part of the beauty of Isaiah as he reveals to us the nature of the Holy One of Israel

The hut in the field may not be much but it is something

Isa. 1:9 shows a flicker of hope

Judah deserved the same punishment poured out on Sodom & Gomorrah

This is one of the places where you can see Isaiah is personally invested in this message

He is affected by it, moved by it - this verse is written personally

Judah is not completely without hope because God has been at work preserving

This message of hope runs throught the whole vision

Starts here with the fall of Jerusalem & ends with the hope of the New Jerusalem

That is our message today - there is hope

You can be rescued from the ruin & devastation that results from sin

Yahweh saves & there is hope for you, God is merciful

There is hope for you if you are lost in sin & without salvation

There is hope for you if you have believed Jesus but have turned away to live in sin

Yahweh is Our Saviour

Isaiah 1:10-20

Calling Us Out of Emptiness (Isa. 1:10-15)

Call of a Loving Father

The message becomes more focussed here, personal

Cry isn’t to the heavens & earth but a personal call to Judah

Personal nature makes the message more stinging

Now they are not like Sodom & Gomorrah but they are Sodom & Gomorrah

Just as Sodom & Gomorrah so they have accepted a life of sin, celebrated it, paraded it

S & G are often used to express the depths of wickedness

When we live our lives in opposition to the Holy One of Israel we’re no different than they are

Don’t miss the care in this stinging rebuke though

“Give ear unto the law of our God”

This isn’t said in a judicial sense like, “obey the law”

Said in the loving care & concern of father

Proverbs 6:20 “20 My son, keep your father’s command, And do not forsake the law of your mother.”

Proverbs 6:23 “23 For the commandment is a lamp, And the law a light; Reproofs of instruction are the way of life,”

Call to Seek God

Loving Father’s holiness cuts us deep here

Starts with a probing question: What’s the purpose for what you are doing? What does it mean to me?

Challenges us on empty worship

The people that He has just described a heavy with iniquity, wholly sick, desolate are offering sacrifices, keeping feasts

They are doing the things God commanded to be done…but why?

Question comes to everyone of us too, what’s the purpose of what you’re doing? Why are you here?

What’s the purpose of your ash cross on Ash Wednesday or your fasts for Lent?

What’s the purpose for the service you did here today? Why did you give an offering in any form?

Why do you get nothing out of worship? Because you bring nothing to it!

God calls us to worship & service not for something to do but to seek His face

Our empty worship isn’t just annoying to God

It is an abomination, He despises it, He cannot endure it, He hates it

He’s not talking about having a bad day

Empty worship leads to ignored prayers

Unbeliever, despite what you might want to think or have been told, God isn’t listening to you (Jn. 9:31)

Believer, Scripture is clear when living in sin & empty worship, God isn’t listening

Psalm 66:18“18 If I regard iniquity in my heart, The Lord will not hear.”

1 Pet. 3:7; 4:7; Jas. 4:3; Prov. 28:9

Calling Us To a New Life (Isa. 1:16-17)

Call to Put Off the Old

Here is God’s mercy because here He offers us the remedy to our situation

He calls us to wash, so that you are clean…cease to do evil

God wan’t angry because they were sacrificing and all but why they were sacrificing

Answer to empty worship isn’t to stop worshipping but to change why you do it

The first step is always repentance

Titus 3:5 “5 not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit,”

Remedy is to get right with God either by believing Him for salvation from sin or repenting of living in sin

Nowhere does Isaia say we need to work for our salvation but he does make it clear we have responsibility

I must turn from my wicked ways and follow God

Call to Put on the New

Goes hand in hand with next part which is to believe…learn of Christ

Recognise & admit that what God has just said about my sin, my unholiness is true

I will stop pursuing my sin, stop returning to be beaten over and over again, stop rebelling more and more

I will hear His words, listen to His law, believe Him and follow Him

Call to Pursue New Life

Result of putting off the old way and putting on the new is I will pursue the new life

Selfishness & emptiness will be replaced by love, justice and compassion

That is, by God’s grace I will not be what I was

Calling Us to Respond (Isa. 1:18-20)

Call to Consider the Options

Another call, appeal to us in our sin

This call to argue, to debate is call to examine the 2 outcomes God lays before us

There is forgiveness & blessing in believing God for salvation or there is judgment for rejecting

You can continue down the path of rebellion against God

That will continue a life of pain & sorrow that ultimately ends in destruction

You can change paths by accepting the offer of God’s mercy, find forgiveness, blessing & life

You are accountable for the decision you make

Call to Receive Forgiveness

Offer God makes here is an offer of forgiveness for your unholiness

Its the offer to have your offences & rebellion wiped away

Scarlet, red, crimson are the stains of blood, they are the marks of guilt

Snow & wool are things that are naturally white, not made white

God’s offer is to have your guilt washed away so that you can have a life that is truly clean

God is giving us, people who deserve the same fate as S & G, an opportunity to be freed from condemnation

Yahweh is Our Hope

Isaiah 1:21-31

The Present Reality (Isa. 1:21-23)

They are Unfaithful

Promise of forgiveness and cleansing is what can be

For that to be what is you must recognise the reality of your present

Like Judah you have deserted God and become unfaithful

That is the reason you suffer the consequences and burdens of this sinful life

They are Impure

Must recognise the reason you need washing, cleansing is because you’re not pure

God is holy but you are not

Silver doesn’t just contain dross it has become dross

You’re not mostly good with just a few minor issues

Wine mixed with water - diluted

It only takes 1 small drop of water & wine is diluted

Though perhaps insignificant to you, the wine is fundamentally altered

So it is with us, smallest part of sin within & we’re fundamentally altered

They are Unjust

Our greatest concern is for our own pleasure

The Promise of Restoration (Isa. 1:24-27)

God will Judge His Enemies

As we will regularly see Isaiah’s vision shows us what is ahead

God will not always be merciful & patient

He will keep His promise destroy His enemies

His enemies being all who continue in rebellion against Him

God will Purify His People

His judgment isn’t reserved only for His enemies

He turns His hand upon His people but with very different purpose

This isn’t to annihilate but to purify, to restore, to bring back to Himself

For Judah & Israel He will do exactly that

He does the same for us - He will chastise not to destroy but to correct, purify, bring back

God will Redeem

How does this happen?

Through His redeeming work (Jesus Christ)

And our repentance (converts/penitent stresses our responsibility)

The Pointed Warning (Isa. 1:28-31)

God will Judge Sinners

Seriousness of this leads to another warning

Those that remain in sin will be destroyed

Judged for what they Desire and Choose

They face judgment because they desired life from things that couldn’t give life

They face judgment because they chose to seek satisfaction outside of God

Complete Destruction

Like tinder they will be completely consumed

Conclusion

How do we find this washing, forgiveness, salvation?

How can I be freed from the pain, sorrow & destruction of sin?

Remember we said that you could write a biography of Jesus from Isaiah?

That’s because Jesus is the theme of Isaiah - Yahweh Saves

Jesus opens His public ministry by teaching from Isaiah

Luke 4:17–21 “17 And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: 18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; 19 To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord.” 20 Then He closed the book, and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all who were in the synagogue were fixed on Him. 21 And He began to say to them, “Today this Scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.””

Jesus is God’s gift of mercy & grace, He is the one who can wash you clean

Jesus is the one who can remove the stain of guilt and make you clean

Jesus is the one who can rescue you from empty worship & ritual

Jesus is the one who can heal the bruises and open wounds afflicted by sin

How? Judgment needed to redeem was poured out on Jesus

The cross was Jesus enduring the wrath of God on our behalf

The Holy One bore the punishment for the unholy

You find cleansing and forgiveness by putting your faith in Jesus Christ as the one who bore the punishment for you