Sermon #89      Series: Isaiah

 

 

Title:  “The Day of the Lord’s Vengeance.”

 

Text:   Isaiah 34:1-17

 

Scripture Reading:  Ps. 11:4-7; Naham 1:2, 3, 4-8

 

Subject:   The Day of Judgment

 

Date:   Sunday Morning – October 13, l991

 

Introduction:

 

            The subject of this chapter is judgment.  It describes “The Day of The Lord’s Vengeance.”  The chapter opens with a call to all nations and people, the earth and all who are in it, the world and all who come forth from it, to hear the prophet’s message concerning God’s indignation.  The chapter has three sections.

 

  1. In verses 1-7 God announces his ultimate, final judgment of the whole world.  Edom is set forth as the leading, primary target of God’s indignation, because the Edomites, the children of Esau, were a people who wore God’s name but despised his grace, as Esau their father “despised the birthright.”  Throughout the Scriptures Edom represents profane, sensual, religious people, who call themselves the people of God, but despise and oppose his gospel, his prophets, and his people (Heb. 12:14-17; Isa. 63:1-6).  God will judge all the world in righteousness. But he reserves the greatest severity of his wrath for those who, like Esau, have wilfully despised his grace, choosing instead their own ways (Deut. 29:18-27).   

 

The most dangerous thing in this world that a man can do is hear the gospel, be convinced of it’s truth, and despise it (Prov. 1:23-33).

 

  1. In verses 8-15 the details of God’s judgment are described by numerous metaphors.  I will leave it to the theologians to argue about whether these words are to be taken literally or symbolically.  But I know this – The message of these verses is clear – God’s judgment will be universal.  This present earth and heaven shall pass away, like Sodom and Gomorrah, under the fire of God’s wrath.  When God gets done with this world nothing shall be left but darkness smoke, emptiness, and confusion – A place for owls, bats, and beasts to roam freely – A desolate place.
  2. In verses 16-17 Isaiah appeals to all men to read the Book of God and know the reality of his message.  As God fulfilled his word to Edom, and made it a place of desolation forever, so too he will fulfil his threats of judgment upon the whole world.  None shall escape his indignation, when “The Day of the Lord’s Vengeance “ is come.

 

When I started to write out this message, the first words that came to my mind were the words of the Apostle Paul – “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men” (II Cor. 5-11).  How I pray that God will now use me to graciously persuade you to make preparation for “The Day of the Lord’s Vengeance.”

 

Proposition:

            Throughout this chapter God is speaking to you and me, and saying, “Prepare to meet thy God!”

 

I am going to do my best to be as brief as I possibly can.  I ask you to give me your attention.  I am talking about eternity.  I am talking about your immortal souls.  I am talking to you about the day of judgment.  “The Day of the Lord’s Vengeance.”  I have six statements that I want to make, that I pray God will cause you to hear.

 

I.          There is a day appointed when God almighty shall judge the world “by that man whom he hath ordained.”  (Acts 17:31).

            Some of you may laugh, and scoff, and think to yourselves, “Bro Don is going to give us one of those ‘hell-fire and brimstone’ sermons today.”  But this is no laughing matter!  I am telling you…

·         You are going to die!  You are going to die at God’s appointed time (Job 14:5).

·         As soon as you die you are going into eternity to meet a holy God in judgment!

·         And you know it!

 

A.                 Christ is coming again.

B.                 When Christ comes the dead shall be raised.

C.                 After this, the judgment!

II.         In that great and terrible day, God will deal with all men upon the basis of strict justice (Rev. 21:27; 22:11-15).

 

·         None shall be damned who have no sin.

·         None shall be saved who are not perfectly righteous (Ps. 24:3-5; Heb. 12:14).

 

In that great day, “God will judge the secrets of men; not only their secret works, but their secret thoughts, by Jesus Christ.  The Lord, the Judge, will bring to light the hidden things of darkness, and will make manifest the counsels of the heart”- (Gill).

 

A.                 All the works and deeds of men will be judged (Eccles. 12:14).

B.                 All the words of man shall be judged (Matt. 12:36-37; Jude 15).

C.                 Every thought of the heart and every motive shall be brought into judgment (Rom. 2:16).

 

III.       The Basis of Divine Judgment will be these Books which God himself will open and search in that August day ((Dan. 7:9-10; Rev. 20:12).

 

A.                 The Book of Creation (Rom. 1:18-20).

B.                 The Book of Providence (Rom. 2:4-5).

C.                 The Book of Conscience (Rom. 2:14-15).

D.                 The Book of Holy Scripture (John 12:48).

·         The Law

·         The Gospel

E.                  The Book of God’s Remembrance (Mal. 3:16).

F.                  The Book of Life (Rev. 21-27).

“This judgment out of the books is designed to show with what accuracy and exactness, with what justice and equity, it will be executed.” (Gill).  It is an allusion to statute books in a court of law.

 

IV.       The only hope for my wretched, sinful soul in that great day is that someone will stand in my stead before the bar of God as my advocate, who is a suitable Substitute and Representative, who has not all the requirements of God’s holiness and righteousness and satisfied all the demands of his offended justice, and who is able to answer the very character of God for me.

 

            Blessed be God, there is such a Substitute!  There is such and advocate for sinners – Jesus Christ the Righteous (I John 2:12).

 

A.                 He fulfilled all righteousness in his life of obedience.

B.                 He satisfied God’s offended justice by his death at Calvary.

C.                 He is himself God – God in human flesh!

D.                 He is an advocate whom the Holy God must hear!

 

V.        If I am found in Christ in that great day, when God searches the books, he will find nothing against me, no sin, no fault, no blemish, no trace of sin, but only righteousness (Jer. 50:20; 23:6; 33:16).

 

A.                 The book of Creation will declare my compatibility in Christ with my Creator.

B.                 The book of God’s remembrance will show no record of my sin.

C.                 The book of God’s law will reveal a record of perfect obedience to God performed in my name.

D.                 The book of the gospel will echo my right to life by the promise of God – “He that believeth is not condemned!”

E.                  The book of providence will recount the wonderful works of God for the salvation of my soul.

F.                  The book of life will reveal my name written from eternity beneath the name of my Lord the Lamb.

G.                 And the book of my own conscience will declare my worthiness of everlasting glory through the blood of Christ.

 

In that great day, my Savior, the Lamb, my Advocate, the Judge of all the earth, who must do right, will take me by the hand and say, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world!”

 

VI.       If in that great day, you hope to be accepted of God, you must be found in Christ.

 

            Come to Christ.  Without him, you are lost forever!  Come to Christ and live forever.  “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved.”  Christ is everything you need.

 

·         Life!

·         Righteousness!

·         Atonement!

·         Reconciliation!

·         Acceptance with God!