Sermon # 206 Series: Isaiah

Title: “THE REDEEMER SHALL COME TO ZION”

Text: Isaiah 59:1-21

Subject: A Prophecy of Salvation and Grace in Christ

Date: Sunday Evening – March 5, 1995

Tape # R-9

Introduction:

At the risk of sounding terribly repetitious, I must once more assert that the passage we have before us must be interpreted spiritually. It is an allegory. If you will take the time to compare what Isaiah here writes and what Paul writes about it in the Book of Romans, you will see that the Holy Spirit inspired Isaiah to write the words of this chapter so that they might serve as an allegory of the depravity, sin, and helplessness of all men by nature and the gracious, almighty intervention of the Lord Jesus Christ to redeem and save his people.

Without question, the prophecy has reference to both the first and the second comings of Christ. It describes the errors and heresies, immorality and profaneness which prevailed before our Savior’s incarnation, as well as that which is so characteristic of this day, which signals the second coming of Christ to consummate the salvation of his people and to destroy all their enemies.

“In this chapter we have sin appearing exceeding sinful, and grace appearing exceeding gracious” – M. Henry.

Proposition: This is what the chapter teaches us – Heartless religious ritualism, religion without God, leads to indescribable, moral wickedness, spiritual ignorance, and ultimately everlasting ruin, unless God sovereignly intervenes to save.

The title of my message and the hope of grace that I want to keep before you is found in verse 20 – “The Redeemer Shall Come To Zion.” I hope that I need not remind you that Zion refers not to the physical, political, Jewish state, but to the church of God’s elect, the chosen body and bride of Christ, “the Israel of God.” As we study these twenty-one verses, I want to show you five things in this chapter.

I. Verses 1 and 2 give us a hint, but, oh, what a gracious hint, at The Character of God.

The last, ruined condition of men, man’s sin, his guilt, his corruption, and his condemnation cannot be blamed upon the character of God. He is a God “ready to save,” one who “delighteth in mercy,” and “waits to be gracious.”

A. The Lord God is able, ready, and willing to be gracious to needy sinners (v. 1).

B. The problem is in us! (v. 2).

NOTE: If you are saved and go to heaven, that will be God’s fault, God’s work, and God’s glory. But, if you refuse to trust Christ, die in your sins, and go to hell, that will be your fault, your work, and your blame forever!

· Romans 6:23

II. Verses 2-8 display to us that which is in all men The Cause of Grief.

The cause of all grief, pain, sorrow, and trouble in this world is not hard to find. The cause of man’s grief is his sin. Sin has created a gulf between man and God, a chasm between the creature and the Creator.

In these verses Isaiah, speaking for God, describes the horrible sins of Israel in his day. But whom the Apostle Paul gives his inspired interpretation of this chapter; he applies these crimes to us all and by them issues an indictment against the whole human race.

· Romans 3:9-18

NOTE: If you are not outwardly guilty of all the crimes that are here described, the reason is not that you are morally superior to others. You are not (Jer. 17:9; Mk. 7:21-23). Neither am I. If we are not outwardly guilty, it is because of the restraining hand of God’s providence and mercy. Nothing else!

“The sins here recited cover the whole catalogue. Their hands, their fingers, their lips, their tongues, their feet, and their minds were all involved. Their state was most despicable and called for the severest judgments. They were all gone out of the way.” B.H. Carrol.

A. Their hands were covered with innocent blood (v. 3).

· The blood of their own children!

· The blood of Christ!

B. They were a generation of liars (v. 3).

C. Their mouths were full of perverse things (v. 3).

· By the educators, philosophers, psychologists, and politicians, by legislation, by education, and by television, this is a generation that has been taught and speaks perverse things – “Call good evil and evil good.”

D. Their was no justice in the land that forgot God and never can be (v. 4).

· A corrupt society produces a corrupt judicial system.

E. They were a scheming, conniving, self-serving, violent people (vv. 5-6).

F. When people sow to the wind they reap the whirlwind and when you make crooked paths for your feet, you make pain and grief for your life; and you can never find the one thing everybody wants – Peace! (vv. 7-8).

Do you see the message of these verses? The cause of grief is sin! Rebellion brings ruin! Deceit brings destruction!

III. In verses 9-15 the prophet speaks for the people and makes The Confession of Guilt.

The first thing God the Holy Spirit does in the work of conversion is to convince and convict men of sin.

· John 16:8-11

Once a person is convicted of sin, he confesses his sin. And the confession of sin is always the forerunner of forgiveness.

· I John 1:9

NOTE: Isaiah’s Confession Spared Nothing!

A. Spiritual Blindness, Confusion, and Helplessness (vv. 9-11).

B. Iniquity, Transgression, and Sin (v. 12).

C. Depravity and Perverseness of Heart (v. 13).

D. Apostacy from the Truth of God (vv. 14-15).

Isaiah said, The whole body of professed religious people is so perverse that whenever a man turns form it and follows God, he is marked as a madman and makes himself a prey for the hatred and malice of all!

IV. Then, verses 15-19 give us a blessed promise and prophecy of the coming of our Savior, The Christ of God.

When hopelessness and despair had almost crushed out life itself, when guilt had been confessed, it displeased the Lord that there was no judgment,” no righteousness and he intervened to perform it for his chosen people, Jehovah himself came to save (Mt. 1:21). Gal. 4:4-6

A. When he saw that there was no man who could save, He Became A Man So That He Could Save!

B. When he saw that there was none to make intercession for his people, He Became Our Intercessor!

· In The Covenant.

· In His Earthly Ministry.

· Upon The Cross.

· In Heaven.

C. His Arm Alone Brought Salvation!

· John 17:2

· John 19:30

· Hebrews 1:3

· Hebrews 10:10-14

· Hebrews 9:12

D. The Son of God Came here to do three specific things. (vv. 16-19).

1. To Save His People – (16-17).

2. To Destroy His Enemies and Ours – (18; John 12:30-32).

3. To Establish His Kingdom in All The World (v. 19).

· The Universal Spread of the Gospel.

V. Verses 20 and 21 describe the believer’s experience of The Covenant of Grace.

This is not, by any means, a full or complete description of the blessings of God’s covenant. But here are three things promised to every chosen soul, to every sinner who turns to God in repentance and faith.

A. “The Redeemer shall come to them!”

B. “My Spirit shall not depart from them!”

C. “My Word shall not fail!

1. The Word of His Oath shall not fail – “I will – They Shall”

2. The Word of His Grace shall not fail – “Him that cometh…”

3. The Word of His Promise shall not fail – “They shall never”

4. His written Word shall not fail – “Abideth forever”

5. His preached Word shall not cease – “without a witness”

Application:

I call on you now to turn from your transgressions, and from the course of this world to your God. Look to Christ in faith. “And the Redeemer shall come “to you!”

1. He will come now to give you grace!

2. He will come soon to bring you to glory!