Sermon #1478                                         Miscellaneous Notes

 

     Title:       God’s Controversy With Our Nation

              or

                   An Earnest Call To Repentance

     Text:       Isaiah 1:1-20

     Reading: Habakkuk 1:2-14; 2:2-4, 18-20; 3:2, 12-13, 16-19

     Subject: The Terrorist Attack On The United States

                               September 11, 2001

     Date:       Sunday Morning – September 23, 2001[1]

     Tape #    W-61a

     Introduction:

 

September 11, 2001 is a day of infamy, branded upon the hearts of all Americans by the fires of those cowardly animals who assaulted our nation in acts of barbaric slaughter! Those beasts are terrorists; but we will not be terrorized.

 

Confession

 

As believing men and women, God’s saints readily acknowledge our own sins and the sins of our nation in the face of such things (Dan. 9:4-15).

 

"O Lord, the great and dreadful God, keeping the covenant and mercy to them that love him, and to them that keep his commandments; We have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments: "Neither have we hearkened unto thy servants the prophets, which spake in thy name to our kings, our princes, and our fathers, and to all the people of the land. O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, but unto us confusion of faces, as at this day;  -- O Lord, to us belongeth confusion of face, to our kings, to our princes, and to our fathers, because we have sinned against thee. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him;  Neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws, which he set before us by his servants the prophets. Yea, all (we) have transgressed thy law, even by departing, that (we) might not obey thy voice; therefore the curse is poured upon us, and the oath that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God, because we have sinned against him. And he hath confirmed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us, by bringing upon us a great evil: for under the whole heaven hath not been done as hath been done upon Jerusalem. As it is written in the law of Moses, all this evil is come upon us: yet made we not our prayer before the LORD our God, that we might turn from our iniquities, and understand thy truth. Therefore hath the LORD watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the LORD our God is righteous in all his works which he doeth: for we obeyed not his voice. And now, O Lord our God,…we have sinned, we have done wickedly."

 

Providence

 

We recognize the hand of God’s providence in these things (Amos 3:6; Isa. 45:7). The terrorists, be they Muslims or the very demons of hell, are but the servants of him who is the Sovereign of the universe. Recognizing the absolute dominion of our God and heavenly Father and the unerring wisdom of his good providence, we bow to him and worship him. With Job of old, we understand that “The hand of the Lord hath wrought this, in whose hand is the soul of every living thing and the breath of all mankind” (Job 12:9-10). We are first and foremost the people of God. Our first, primary concern is the will and glory of our God. We must, above all things, seek to honor God.

 

Patriots

 

We are also Americans, citizens of that nation that is the envy of the world. We are and ever shall be loyal patriots. This is, indeed, a blessed nation. With all our diversity, we a people united in the cause of liberty. Let us take great care, in these troublesome times, to promote the patriotic oneness of this great nation for which multitudes have laid down their lives, doing nothing to divide American from American.

 

     God’s saints ought to be the best, most loyal citizens of any society in which providence has placed them. As such, let us now (as we always should) pray for our Divinely appointed President, Vice President and national leaders. President Bush and those under his direction have a heavy, heavy load to carry. May God graciously grant them the wisdom and skill needed to direct the civil affairs of our nation with courage and resolve, “That we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty. For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior.

 

Divine Judgment

 

The one question upon the minds of all who have witnessed the atrocities performed against our nation is this: -- Why? The answer to that question is found in Jeremiah 22:7-9. Hear the word of God himself. It is a word often repeated in the Book of God (Deut. 29:24-29; 1 Kings 8:7-9).

 

(Jeremiah 22:7-9)  "And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons: and they shall cut down thy choice cedars, and cast them into the fire. (8) And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbour, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this great city? (9) Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them."

 

     Knowing that the events of providence are not accidents, things that come to pass by random chance, or blind fate, knowing that God’s creation is never out of control, we who believe God understand that what we have experienced these past two weeks are clear, evident manifestations of divine judgment[1]. I realize that, like Jeremiah of old, I am flying in the teeth of all the prophets of deceit in our day.

 

     All that is required to see how fully we deserve God’s wrath is to behold how the nation, as a whole, has responded to these tragic events. Early Friday morning, as I watched the news, I heard Tom Brokaw make this statement, -- “All Americans today are turning to their god, whatever their god may happen to be.” Like many of you, I watched the official State prayer meeting at the National Cathedral in Washington, D.C. at noon on Friday. That alone was enough to warrant God's judgment.

 

     Here is a quote from Bishop Jane Holmes Dixon: "Those of us who are gathered here--Muslim, Jew, Christian, Sikh, Buddhist, Hindu--all people of faith...." Leading the meeting were Episcopalians, a Roman Catholic Cardinal, Methodists, a Muslim cleric, and Billy Graham. The Methodist preacher from Houston offered his prayer to the "God of Abraham and Mohammed, and Jesus"! – I know that the entire world sees this as a great awakening. Late Friday evening the pastor of a large Presbyterian church in Washington used those very words, declaring, “I do not believe in a vindictive God. What I am seeing is a time of great spiritual awakening, a nation turning to God.” How I wish that were true. But the fact is, this is the sort of religious activity that makes God want to vomit (see Revelation 3:16[2].

 

     The United States of America is a nation under the judgment of God. I have been telling you this for years. Do not think I am unpatriotic for telling you the truth. I am prepared to die in defense of this nation. My blood runs red. But I am here to speak to you in the name of God, as his messenger. I dare not speak peace when God has spoken wrath.

 

     We have become a nation of idolaters as the events of the past two weeks have demonstrated. The whole nation is running after other gods: Mary and the saints, Allah and Buddha, and bowing before images, statues, icons, and priests.

·        We have rejected the Gospel of Christ.

·        We have violated every law of God, not only as individuals, but as a nation.

·        In the name of religious freedom, in the name of God, we have: legalized abortion and homosexuality.

·        Our politicians pander to envy and covetousness.

·        And we, as a nation, promote every form of moral decadence imaginable.

·        The religious leaders of the nation are idolaters. In order to serve as a chaplain in any public organization (Military, Congressional, or Hospital or Prison), idolatry is a required prerequisite.

 

Call to Repentance

 

This message is a call to repentance. If we are not humbled before God; if we do not believe the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ, who saved his people from their sins; if we harden our hearts, God will not be merciful; his judgment will continue. The present surge of spirituality is but the continued hardening our hearts, a continued rejection of the truth of the Gospel, a continued to wallowing in our religious filth and idolatry. Yet God is merciful. He will be merciful to those who turn to him in faith, trusting Christ (2 Chron. 7:14).

 

(2 Chronicles 7:14)  "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

 

     I want you to turn with me to Isaiah chapter 1. The title of my message is -- God’s Controversy With Our Nation. My text will be Isaiah 1:1-20.

 

     I realize that these words were originally spoken to Judah and Jerusalem concerning the sins of that nation and their religious practices[3]. But I am not preaching to Judah and Jerusalem. Because that nation and people turned away from God, despised His Word, and crucified His Son, they have long since been destroyed, left in spiritual desolation, and forsaken by God (Matt. 22:1-7; 23:38-39). “Because of unbelief they were broken off” (Rom. 9:20).

 

     However, these things were not written in the book of God for them alone. They were written for us. This is God’s Word. It lives and abides forever. Judah and Jerusalem, in this text, are simply representatives of all men. They represent you and me. This is not God’s controversy with Judah alone. This is God’s controversy with every nation in the world. This is not God’s controversy with the Jews alone. This is God’s controversy with every person in the world. This is God’s controversy with our nation.

 

Proposition: God has a just controversy with man, a controversy that must be settled. It is a controversy that must be settled; but the only one who can settle it is God himself.

 

I.                   A TWOFOLD CONTROVERSY

 

God’s controversy with our nation is twofold. It is a moral controversy and a spiritual controversy. I mean by that that we have provoked his wrath and continually do so both by our corrupt lives and by our corrupt religion.

 

A.   Isaiah prophesied in times very much like our own (v. 1).

 

(verse 1) "The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah."

 

Isaiah lived in days of great affluence and prosperity and days of great moral decadence and idolatry. In the midst of terrible moral and spiritual decay, God raised up this man, Isaiah, to proclaim the coming of a better day, to proclaim the coming of Christ the Messiah, the establishment of the kingdom of heaven by preaching of the gospel, and coming of eternal glory by the grace of God.

 

     In a day of idolatry, ignorance, and iniquity, the Prophet Isaiah faithfully preached the word of God and called for men and women to come to God in repentance, trusting the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who would soon appear to accomplish redemption for his people. In fact, Isaiah’s very name means “The Lord shall save.”

 

Verse 1 tells us that Isaiah’s ministry spanned the reigns of four kings in Judah. He was God’s faithful spokesman in the land of Judah for more than fifty years, perhaps much more. Gill calculates that he preached for one hundred and twelve or thirteen years! That takes in a large piece of history, for one man. And in all those years God was sovereignly accomplishing his own divine purpose in providence. These four kings were but instruments in the hands of God, by which he sovereignly accomplished his purpose of grace toward his elect (Pro. 21:1; Rom. 8:28).

 

     Each of these four kings, by the providence of God, was used to accomplish eternal good for God’s elect. And each of them provides important lessons for us.

 

1.     Uzziah reigned for fifty-two years in Judah.

 

Uzziah, the King of Judah, had led his people in the achievement of both economic and political stability. Under his rule, Judah had almost risen to the power, prestige, and glory of Israel in the days of David and Solomon. But, as is almost always the case, as the nation increased in riches it became more and more degenerate. Vice increased as wealth increased. Isaiah lived to see the worship of God degenerate to lifeless, meaningless ritualism. And he saw the nation and people he loved forsake the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

 

Uzziah was a good king, a powerful leader, and the kingdom prospered under his reign. Everything he did prospered, until his heart was lifted up with pride. Uzziah died under the curse of God, because he attempted to approach God without a mediator (2 Chron. 26:16-21).

 

2.     Jotham reigned for sixteen years in Jerusalem.

 

Jotham was a devout man, a true believer, one who worshipped God, and prepared his ways before the Lord. Though Uzziah did not know the Lord, he was used of God to build his kingdom, and used of God to lead his son in the way of faith (Ps. 76:10).

 

     Only eternity will tell how God has overruled and used the evil deeds of men to accomplish his purpose of grace for his people.

 

3.     Ahaz was king in Jerusalem for sixteen years.

 

He was a godless man, an idolater. He was a pragmatist of the worst sort. Ahaz sought help from a pagan king to protect the kingdom of God. And in doing so, he brought Judah into captivity. This weakling, wretch burned his own children upon the altar to Moloch! Ahaz brought Judah shame, reproach, and bondage. Ahaz turned the hearts of the people away from the worship of God to the worship of strange gods (2 Chron. 28).

 

     Yet, Ahaz, with all his wickedness, idolatry, and unbelief did not hinder the accomplishment of God’s purpose.

 

4.     And Hezekiah reigned in Judah for twenty-nine years.

 

Hezekiah was a believer, a godly man. He restored the worship of the Lord, reformed the priesthood, cleansed the temple, and led Judah in the ways of the God. When Sennacherib thought he would destroy Judah, Hezekiah prayed and God sent his angel to slay 185,000 Assyrian soldiers (2 Kings 19:32-35).

 

a.      Hezekiah shows us that the effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.

 

Then the Lord sent Hezekiah a message, telling him to set his house in order, he must die. But Hezekiah prayed again, and the Lord added fifteen years to his life (Isa. 38:1-6). There are some things to be learned from this prayer too.

 

b.     If we are wise, when we pray, we will seek not our own will but God’s will.

 

The Lord gave Hezekiah his way. He let him live another fifteen years. But they were a sad, painful fifteen years.

 

·        His heart was lifted up with pride, and he showed the Babylonians all his treasures.

·        He prepared the way for the Babylonian captivity.

·        And he fathered Manasseh, the most vile, cruel, wicked king the world had ever seen.

 

c.     Yet, again, in all this we see the ever ruling hand of God in predestination and providence.

 

This too was used to accomplish God’s purpose of grace toward his elect. After Manasseh came Josiah, from whom came the Christ, the Son of David, our Redeemer (Rom. 11:33-36). Truly, our God does all things well.

 

B.    God’s controversy with our nation is first the fact that we are a sinful people who provoke him to anger continually (vv. 2-6).

 

(verse 2) "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the LORD hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children (Acts 17:26-29), and they have rebelled against me (Pro. 1:23-33)."

 

(verse 3) "The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, (1 Cor. 2:14-16) my people doth not consider."

 

(verse 4) "Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the LORD, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward."

 

(verse 5) "Why should ye be stricken any more? (Why should I bother with you anymore?) Ye will revolt more and more: the whole head (reason, logic, judgment) is sick, and the whole heart (affections, emotions, feelings) faint."

 

(verse 6) "From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment."

 

1.     As sin brought God’s judgment upon Judah and Jerusalem sin has brought the wrath and judgment of God upon our nation today (v. 7-8).

 

(verse 7) "Your country is desolate, your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers."

 

(verse 8) "And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city." – Lonely, empty, isolated and apparently insignificant places.

 

     Temporal judgments are forewarnings of eternal judgment. And eternal judgment is the just reward of our sin (Rom. 6:23).

 

     This is God’s controversy with our nation. He is holy. We are sin. Our sin is natural, and willful, and universal, and inexcusable. Our every breath provokes God to anger. We deserve to die. We must die. Our sin must and will be punished! But, I do have good news for sinners. There is hope for men, even for such sinners as we are.

 

2.     In verse 9, Isaiah declares that even in this land of utter moral decadence there is yet, as always, a remnant according to the election of grace.

 

(verse 9) "Except the LORD of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah."

 

     Thank God, there is a remnant according to the election of grace who shall be saved (Rom. 11:5; 9:29). Who is that elect remnant? All who seek the righteousness of God by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom. 9:30-33)[4].

 

     Election shuts the door of mercy against no one. Election opens the door to many. Were it not for God’s election of some from eternity, we would all have perished like Sodom under the wrath of God. Thank God for electing love!

 

     But God has another far greater controversy with our nation. In fact the moral decadence of our society must be traced to and blamed on this greater controversy with us, which is described in verses 10-15.

 

C.   God’s first controversy with our nation is our moral decadence, but the second, even greater controversy is the fact that we have as a nation perverted the worship of God into base idolatry.

 

I cannot stress this point enough. I keep hammering away at this thing, hoping that someone will hear me and pay attention. God almighty holds the religion of this world, legal, free will, self-righteous, works religion, in utter, absolute contempt!

 

·        Remember, these people were Jews, the lineal descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

·        They were orthodox in their creed, but not in their hearts - their creed, to put it in modern terms, was thoroughly Calvinistic. But their hearts were thoroughly Arminian.

·        Their outward form of religion was precisely as God had ordained it - They came to the place God had appointed, with the sacrifices God had appointed, at the time God had appointed. But there was one fatal mistake. These men and women vainly and foolishly imagined that their religious devotion, ceremonies, sacrifices, prayers, and sabbath keeping were meritorious with God. They did not say so in word. But they inwardly entertained the hope that God would accept them because of what they did. They built the confidence upon the works of their own hands! And for that God was angry. God refused to hear their prayers, receive their sacrifices, or accept their services.

 

(verse 10)  "Hear the word of the LORD, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah."

 

1.     They brought sacrifices to God and burned them upon the altar; but they trusted the sacrifices they brought to God rather than Christ, the Lamb of God, whom those sacrifices were meant to represent (v. 11).

 

(verse 11) "To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the LORD: I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats."

 

      Illustration: The Lambs -- Christ (John 1:29).

                          The Altar -- Christ (Heb. 13:10).

                          The Mercy Seat -- Christ (Rom. 3:24-26).

 

     Because they trusted their own works and refused to trust the blood and righteousness of Christ, God refused both them and their sacrifices (v. 12).

 

(verse 12) "When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts?"

 

2.     All their gifts and services to God were vain oblations (v. 13), because they imagined that their gifts and services made them righteous.

 

(verse 13) "Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting."

 

     They thought their own obedience was meritorious. Therefore they could not trust the merits of Christ’s obedience (Rom. 5:19). As long as you imagine that anything in you, or done by you, is acceptable to God, you cannot and will not trust Christ.

 

3.     Their incense, the symbol of Christ’s intercession, was an abomination (v. 13), because they saw no need of a mediator to make intercession for them.

 

Thank God, Christ is a great High Priest, who makes intercession for transgressors by the will of God. But you will never trust him to intercede for you until you know that you cannot approach God without him.

 

4.     Their new moons, feasts kept on the first day of the month, were obnoxious (v. 13), because they never ate Christ’s flesh and drank his blood by faith (John 6:51-56).

 

They meticulously kept their solemn feasts. But they never fed upon the Bread of Life!

 

5.     Their sabbath days were sacrilege (v. 13) because they found no rest in Christ our Sabbath (Heb. 4:9-11).

 

6.     Their solemn assemblies for worship were assemblies of iniquity which God hated, was weary of, and refused to accept (vv. 13-14) because they were assemblies of empty, legal, self-righteous religion.

 

(verse 13) "Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting."

 

(verse 14) "Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them."

 

7.     Even their prayers were an abomination to God (v. 15), because the hands they spread in prayer were full of blood.

 

(verse 15) "And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood."

 

     Hear the word of God. If you spread your hands out to God in prayer, but have no heart faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, if you attempt to approach God upon the ground of your own merit, without faith in Christ, your hands are full of blood. God will not hear you. Your hands are full of the blood of Christ. Your willful unbelief screams out “Crucify him! Crucify him!” And his blood is upon your hands.

 

Now hear what God is teaching us in this passage.

 

·        Religion without Christ is worse than useless. It is damning to the souls of men.

 

Illustration: Joab -- 1 Kings 2:28-34.

 

·        Our most costly sacrifices, and most devoted services, and most meticulous observances of moral, religious duty can never atone for sin or obtain God’s favor.

·        Our only hope of acceptance with God is the blood and righteousness of Christ (1 Cor. 1:30-31).

 

II.             Perfect Atonement and Perfect Righteousness

 

Read verses 16 and 17 and learn this: The Holy Lord God requires of us just two things, perfect atonement and perfect righteousness.

 

(verse 16) "Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil;"

 

(verse 17) "Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow."

 

In these two verses, God is not telling us that if we will stop doing evil and begin doing good, then he will be merciful to us. He is showing us the utter impossibility of self-salvation. When God says, “Be ye holy,” He is saying, “If you would be accepted of me you must be perfectly holy, as I am holy.” He intends by such statements to show us two things:

 

1.   “By the works of the law there shall no flesh be justified” (Rom. 3:19-24).

2.   If we would be saved we must be saved by the merits of a substitute - Christ.

 

A.  If we would be accepted of God, if we would have eternal acceptance with Him, there are four things we must do.

 

1.   We must purge all sin from our own hearts and natures. -- We must give ourselves a holy nature. -- “Wash you, make you clean.”

2.   We must put all your past sins out of God’s sight. -- “Put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes.”

3.   We must “cease to do evil.”

4.   We must “learn to do well,” to love God with all our hearts and our neighbors as ourselves.

 

     Go ahead and try. These are the things for which God holds us responsible. But we have no ability to perform them.

 

B. Our only hope of salvation and eternal acceptance with God is that someone may do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.

 

Blessed be God! There is One who can! Jesus Christ the Son of God can …

 

1.   Make us clean by the regeneration of his Spirit - imparted righteousness (1 John 3:9-10).

2.   Put away our sin by his blood atonement (Isa. 43:24-25).

3.   Cause us to cease to do evil by the power of his grace (1 Pet. 4:1).

4.   Cause us to do well by the imputation of his righteousness (Rom. 5:19).

 

III.          God’s Gracious Call

 

Now, read verses 18-20. Yes, God is merciful. God is gracious. We pray that he will in wrath remember mercy; and he will! Here is God’s gracious call. It is the call of grace issued to sinners who fully deserve his wrath.

 

(verse 18) "Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool."

 

(verse 19) "If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:"

 

(verse 20) "But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.”

 

     Here is the Lord God himself entreating guilty sinners, like you and me, even those who have been guilty of the base crimes of legal, self-righteous, works religion to come to him by faith in Christ and obtain full pardon for all our sins.

Come

Come now

Let us reason together”.

 

·        God reasons with us on the basis of his covenant grace, his Son’s obedience, his gospel promises, and your desperate need.

·        Let us reason with God on the same ground.

·        Our scarlet red sins shall be as white as the wool of a spotless Lamb, as white as the newly fallen snow.

·        If we are willing and obedient, we will eat of the good of that land flowing with the milk and honey of infinite, boundless grace.

·        "But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

·        Let us turn to God, seek his face, and seek his grace in Christ.

 

(Luke 13:1-5)  "There were present at that season some that told him of the Galilaeans, whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices. (2) And Jesus answering said unto them, Suppose ye that these Galilaeans were sinners above all the Galilaeans, because they suffered such things? (3) I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish. (4) Or those eighteen, upon whom the tower in Siloam fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwelt in Jerusalem? (5) I tell you, Nay: but, except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish."

 

(2 Chronicles 7:14)  "If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land."

 

Hosea 14: 1-9

 

1.     "O Israel, return unto the LORD thy God; for thou hast fallen by thine iniquity."

 

2.     "Take with you words, and turn to the LORD: say unto him, Take away all iniquity, and receive us graciously: so will we render the calves of our lips."

 

3.     "Asshur shall not save us; we will not ride upon horses: neither will we say any more to the work of our hands, Ye are our gods: for in thee the fatherless findeth mercy."

 

4.     "I will heal their backsliding, I will love them freely: for mine anger is turned away from him."

 

5.     "I will be as the dew (Dew is reviving and refreshing.) unto Israel: he shall grow as the lily (Lilies grow gently, gradually, unobserved, until they bud forth in their beauty.), and cast forth his roots as Lebanon (Cedars are strong because their roots are deep.)."

 

6.     "His branches (Branches spread.) shall spread, and his beauty shall be as the olive tree (The olive tree’s greatest beauty is its fragrance.), and his smell as Lebanon."

 

7.     "They that dwell under his shadow shall return; they shall revive as the corn, and grow as the vine: the scent thereof shall be as the wine of Lebanon."

 

8.     "Ephraim shall say, What have I to do any more with idols? I have heard him, and observed him: I am like a green fir tree. From me is thy fruit found."

 

9.     "Who is wise, and he shall understand these things? prudent, and he shall know them? for the ways of the LORD are right, and the just shall walk in them: but the transgressors shall fall therein."

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



[1] I do not mean to suggest or imply in any way that those who perished in New York, Washington, and Pennsylvania were wicked men and women. I did not know a single one of them. I am simply declaring what all who are not utterly blind to the works of God know is so. – The United States of America, this nation which we dearly love, is a nation fully deserving the wrath of God.

[2] The media and politically correct educators and politicians are all trying to convince us that the actions of theses terrorists against our nation are not a reflection of true Islam, that these are the actions of a small sect of Islamic radicals. That simply is not true. What we have seen is the religion of Islam in its truest form. Let me show you. -- The following quotes are taken from the Koran [the copy used is in The Sacred Books and Early Literature of the East, Vol. 5] and represent only a few of its distorted views. Chapter 2, “War is enjoined you against the infidels (anyone not Muslim); but this is hateful unto you: yet perchance you hate a thing which is better for you, and perchance you love a thing which is worse for you: but Allah knows and you know not.

They will ask you concerning the sacred month, whether they may war therein:

Answer, To war therein is grievous; but to obstruct the way of Allah, and infidelity toward him, and to keep men from the holy temple, and to drive out his people thence, is more grievous in the sight of Allah, and the temptation to idolatry is more grievous than to kill in the sacred months. They will not cease to war against you, until they turn you from your religion, ... they shall be the companions of hell fire, they shall remain therein forever” (p. 72 f.). Chapter 3, “Verily the true religion, in the sight of Allah, is Islam” (p. 85). “Abraham was neither a Jew, nor a Christian; but he was of the true religion, one resigned unto Allah, and was not of the number of the idolaters” (p. 90).We are not obliged to observe justice with the heathen: but they utter a lie against Allah, knowingly” (p. 91). Chapter 5, “They are surely infidels, who say, Verily God is Christ the son of Mary; since Christ said, O children of Israel, serve God, my Lord and your Lord.... Christ the son of Mary is no more than an apostle; other apostles have preceded him; and his mother was a woman of veracity: they both ate food.” (p. 118). “They are certainly infidels, who say, God is the third of three” (p. 118). Chapter 9, “Fight against them who believe not in Allah....” (p. 158). “Kill the idolaters wheresoever you shall find them” (p. 155). “Verily Allah has purchased of the true believers their souls and their substance, promising them the enjoyment of paradise; on the condition that they fight for the cause of Allah: whether they slay or be slain....” (p. 162).

[3] “Probably this sermon was preached in the reign of Ahaz, when Judah was invaded by the kings of Syria and Israel. The Edomites and the Philistines, who slew many and carried many away into captivity” (Matthew Henry). (See 2 Chron. 28:5, 17, 18).

 

[4] (Romans 9:29-33)  "And as Esaias said before, Except the Lord of Sabaoth had left us a seed, we had been as Sodoma, and been made like unto Gomorrha. (30) What shall we say then? That the Gentiles, which followed not after righteousness, have attained to righteousness, even the righteousness which is of faith. (31) But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. (32) Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law. For they stumbled at that stumblingstone; (33) As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed."

 



[1] Wichita Falls, TX (09/18/01) – Danville (AM – 09/23/01) Message preached at Danville (W-61a – WHY?) did not include the exposition of Isaiah 1:1-20.