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Sermon #60 — Isaiah Series

 

Title:                           Salvation GodŐs Way

 

Text:                            Isaiah 19:1-25

Subject:                     GodŐs Method of Grace

Date:                          Sunday Evening — September 6, 2018

Readings:     Lindsay Campbell and Rex Bartley

Introduction:

 

If you will open your Bible to the 19th chapter of the Gospel of Isaiah, I want to show you a picture of — Salvation GodŐs Way. ThatŐs my subject — Salvation GodŐs Way. Our text will be Isaiah 19:1-25. — God never does things the way we would or the way we think he should. He declaresÉ

 

(Isaiah 55:8-9) My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. (9) For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

 

Never is that fact more evident than in the way God saves sinners. Search the pages of history, study the countless forms of religion invented by men, research all the pages of religious philosophy you can find. When you have finished your research, you will discover that no mortal ever dreamed of a god who might save sinners the way our God saves his elect.

á      God saves sinners, not good people, but sinners (Romans 5:6-8).

á      God saves whom he will, by his own sovereign and eternal purpose (Romans 9:11-27).

á      God saves sinners by free, unconditional grace, without any works of their own (Ephesians 2:8-9).

á      God saves sinners by the sacrifice of himself! — By the sacrifice of his own dear Son! — The Incarnation! — Righteous Life! — Substitutionary Death! — ŇA Just God and a SaviorÓ (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)

á      God saves sinners through the instrumentality of gospel preaching (1 Corinthians 1:23; Romans 10:17; 1 Peter 1:23-25).

á      God saves sinners by faith in his Son, faith which he alone can give (Philippians 1:29)

 

Proposition: GodŐs salvation is salvation becoming to God. — It is altogether like God. And, as it is experienced by saved sinners, the Lord God graciously proves that which he declares in Isaiah 55:8-9.

 

(Isaiah 55:8-9) My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the LORD. (9) For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

 

We have this fact beautifully illustrated in this 19th chapter of the Gospel of Isaiah.

 

If we would understand IsaiahŐs message in this chapter, we must read the chapter with spiritual, not carnal eyes. Egypt and Assyria were IsraelŐs most ancient, most relentless, and most cruel foes throughout the history of the Old Testament. As we read Ňthe burden of EgyptÓ given in this chapter, it is obvious that the Lord God had purposed deserved judgment for both Egypt and Assyria. He was determined to bring great misery upon them. But when we get to the end of the chapter we see Egypt, Assyria, and Israel standing together as one people, as Ňthe Israel of God,Ó enjoying all the blessings of GodŐs covenant grace in everlasting salvation. Obviously, God the Holy Ghost here speaks by his prophet about this blessed Gospel Day.

 

Egypt Within

 

1st — As we read this chapter, we find the Spirit of God reminding us again of the fact that — Salvation GodŐs way delivers his Israel from Egypt but leaves Egypt in us (vv. 1-10).

 

(Isaiah 19:1-10) The burden of Egypt. Behold, the LORD rideth upon a swift cloud, and shall come into Egypt: and the idols of Egypt shall be moved at his presence, and the heart of Egypt shall melt in the midst of it. (2) And I will set the Egyptians against the Egyptians: and they shall fight everyone against his brother, and everyone against his neighbour; city against city, and kingdom against kingdom. (3) And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards. (4) And the Egyptians will I give over into the hand of a cruel lord; and a fierce king shall rule over them, saith the Lord, the LORD of hosts. (5) And the waters shall fail from the sea, and the river shall be wasted and dried up. (6) And they shall turn the rivers far away; and the brooks of defence shall be emptied and dried up: the reeds and flags shall wither. (7) The paper reeds by the brooks, by the mouth of the brooks, and everything sown by the brooks, shall wither, be driven away, and be no more. (8) The fishers also shall mourn, and all they that cast angle into the brooks shall lament, and they that spread nets upon the waters shall languish. (9) Moreover, they that work in fine flax, and they that weave networks, shall be confounded. (10) And they shall be broken in the purposes thereof, all that make sluices and ponds for fish.

 

War and strife, turmoil and bitterness, famine, thirst, pestilence, waste, and failure are everywhere!

 

So it is with us by nature! The burden of Egypt falls in upon the soul whenever the Lord remits the out-pouring of his Spirit upon us! When he does, we find the risings of sin within and the remains of in dwelling corruption bubbling up in our souls! There is felt darkness in us, like the darkness God sent upon Egypt! Our spirits fail within us! Our hearts sink! And we cry with JeremiahÉ

 

(Lamentations 3:18) And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:

 

Every saved sinner knows by bitter experience that saved people are people with two natures: flesh and spirit, the old man and the new man, Adam and Christ, sin and righteousness (Romans 7:9-25; 1 John 3:1-10; Song of Solomon 5:2-9).

 

Terror in the Soul

 

2ndWhen God comes to save the first thing he does is create terror in the soul (vv. 11-17).

 

(Isaiah 19:11-17) Surely the princes of Zoan are fools, the counsel of the wise counsellors of Pharaoh is become brutish: how say ye unto Pharaoh, I am the son of the wise, the son of ancient kings? (12) Where are they? Where are thy wise men? And let them tell thee now and let them know what the LORD of hosts hath purposed upon Egypt. (13) The princes of Zoan are become fools, the princes of Noph are deceived; they have also seduced Egypt, even they that are the stay of the tribes thereof. (14) The LORD hath mingled a perverse spirit in the midst thereof: and they have caused Egypt to err in every work thereof, as a drunken man staggereth in his vomit. (15) Neither shall there be any work for Egypt, which the head or tail, branch or rush, may do. (16) In that day shall Egypt be like unto women: and it shall be afraid and fear because of the shaking of the hand of the LORD of hosts, which he shaketh over it. (17) And the land of Judah shall be a terror unto Egypt, everyone that maketh mention thereof shall be afraid in himself, because of the counsel of the LORD of hosts, which he hath determined against it.

 

As I read those words, it is as though I am reading exactly what happened in my world when the awakenings of a sense of sin and a dread of divine wrath terrified my guilty consequence.

á      The Terror of Guilt Realized (Romans 7:9)

á      The Terror of Righteousness Required (Matthew 5:20)

á      The Terror of Judgment at Hand

 

A Savior Revealed

 

3rdThe sweetest thing in all the world to a poor, helpless, guilty sinner is the revelation of our great Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. That is what Isaiah speaks of in verses 18-22.

 

(Isaiah 19:18-20) In that day shall five cities in the land of Egypt speak the language of Canaan and swear to the LORD of hosts; one shall be called, The city of destruction. (19) In that day shall there be an altar to the LORD in the midst of the land of Egypt, and a pillar at the border thereof to the LORD. (20) And it shall be for a sign and for a witness unto the LORD of hosts in the land of Egypt: for they shall cry unto the LORD because of the oppressors, and he shall send them a saviour, and a great one, and he shall deliver them.

 

Mark every word in these verses. How sweet the promises contained in them! In that day, this Gospel Day, the day of Christ which Abraham saw afar off and rejoiced. Egypt had been miserably spoken of before, but now all is mercy! So is it in all the transitions from nature to grace.

á      The language of Canaan is the language of the gospel.

á      Egypt partakes with Israel in the mercies of redemption and speaks the same language.

á      GodŐs Altar, Christ Jesus, is set up in Egypt.

á      Egyptians throw down their idols and bow to the Lord of Hosts.

á      Poor, needy sinners, under conviction of sin, of righteousness, and of judgment pray.

á      As soon as the needy soul bows in prayer the Savior is revealed!

á      ŇHe shall send them a Savior!Ó

á      ŇAnd a Great One!Ó

á      ŇAnd He shall Deliver Them!Ó

 

All of this comes to pass in the Gospel Day of Grace because Christ our King pours out the Holy Ghost upon all flesh just as he promised (Joel 2:28-32; Acts 2:17-21; Zechariah 12:10; 13:1).

 

(Zechariah 12:10) And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.

 

(Zechariah 13:1) In that day there shall be a fountain opened to the house of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem for sin and for uncleanness.

 

This is GodŐs method of grace. This is salvation GodŐs way. He smites that he may heal (vv. 21-22).

 

(Isaiah 19:21-22) And the LORD shall be known to Egypt, and the Egyptians shall know the LORD in that day, and shall do sacrifice and oblation; yea, they shall vow a vow unto the LORD, and perform it. (22) And the LORD shall smite Egypt: he shall smite and heal it: and they shall return even to the LORD, and he shall be intreated of them, and shall heal them.

 

  • You will never know the love of God in Christ until you are made to know the wrath of God without Christ.
  • You will never be saved until you are lost.
  • God will not robe you with the righteousness of Christ until he strips you of your own righteousness.
  • He will not heal you until he has wounded you, and you have need of healing.
  • He will not lift you up until he casts you down.
  • He will not make you alive until he slays you.

 

(Isaiah 54:11-14) O thou afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. (12) And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones. (13) And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children. (14) In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear: and from terror; for it shall not come near thee.

 

The Lord will convince and convert. He will wound and heal. The Holy Ghost will make his Word as a fire and as a hammer, to melt and break the stout heart of chosen sinners. By the Spirit of judgment and the Spirit of burning, he who brings under the rod will bring into the bond of the covenant. This is our Divine Comforter, the Comforter given by our great Savior (Jeremiah 23:29; Isaiah 4:4; Ezekiel 20:37; John 14:16-17).

 

A Highway Home

 

4thHere is a highway home for poor, needy sinners (vv. 23-25).

 

(Isaiah 19:23-25) In that day shall there be a highway out of Egypt to Assyria, and the Assyrian shall come into Egypt, and the Egyptian into Assyria, and the Egyptians shall serve with the Assyrians. (24) In that day shall Israel be the third with Egypt and with Assyria, even a blessing in the midst of the land: (25) Whom the LORD of hosts shall bless, saying, Blessed be Egypt my people, and Assyria the work of my hands, and Israel mine inheritance.

 

You do not need for me to tell you about this Highway, do you? The Highway Home is our great Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ (Isaiah 35:1-10).

 

(Isaiah 35:1-10) The wilderness and the solitary place shall be glad for them; and the desert shall rejoice, and blossom as the rose. (2) It shall blossom abundantly and rejoice even with joy and singing: the glory of Lebanon shall be given unto it, the excellency of Carmel and Sharon, they shall see the glory of the LORD, and the excellency of our God. (3) Strengthen ye the weak hands and confirm the feeble knees. (4) Say to them that are of a fearful heart, Be strong, fear not: behold, your God will come with vengeance, even God with a recompence; he will come and save you. (5) Then the eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped. (6) Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing: for in the wilderness shall waters break out, and streams in the desert. (7) And the parched ground shall become a pool, and the thirsty land springs of water: in the habitation of dragons, where each lay, shall be grass with reeds and rushes. (8) And an highway shall be there, and a way, and it shall be called The way of holiness; the unclean shall not pass over it; but it shall be for those: the wayfaring men, though fools, shall not err therein. (9) No lion shall be there, nor any ravenous beast shall go up thereon, it shall not be found there; but the redeemed shall walk there: (10) And the ransomed of the LORD shall return and come to Zion with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away.

 

á      Walking this Highway Egypt, Assyria, and Israel walk together, as one.

á      They are GodŐs blessed people.

á      They are the work of GodŐs hands (Ephesians 2:8-10).

á      They are GodŐs chosen inheritance!

 

This is salvation GodŐs way. Oh, may he make his salvation your salvation, for ChristŐs sake!

 

Illustration: ŇGlad the Lord saved you, Bro. BurkeÓ

 

Amen.

 

 

 

 

 

Don Fortner

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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