Isaiah 10:24-27 “So this is what the Lord, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, says: “O my people in Zion, do not be afraid of the Assyrians when they oppress you with rod and club as the Egyptians did long ago. 25 In a little while my anger against you will end, and then my anger will rise up to destroy them.” 26 The Lord of Heaven’s Armies will lash them with his whip, as he did when Gideon triumphed over the Midianites at the rock of Oreb, or when the Lord’s staff was raised to drown the Egyptian army in the sea. 27 In that day the Lord will end the bondage of his people. He will break the yoke of slavery and lift it from their shoulders.”
Introduction: God send Isaiah with a word of Hope. The present circumstance had left Israel hopeless. They feel hopeless, full of despair, desperate, and despondent, all brought on by their own actions. Having lost all or nearly all, they no longer thought things could change. They sat in hopeless despair, no longer putting forth any effort or resistance. They accepted their fate and resigned themselves to the idea that this was their lot in life. Then Isaiah says, “And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.”
Isaiah visualizes a future day of Israel’s coming victory! What an awesome experience God gave Isaiah. First, Isaiah sees God in all his glory, he sees himself and others clearly and embraces his future assignment with enthusiasm. “Here am I, send me!” God gives Isaiah a revelation of the coming judgment on Assyria. God’s judgment is set and sure. The nation of Israel would suffer but a remnant would be saved. God is merciful even in judgment. Assyria would be judged and pay a high penalty for her ill treatment of Israel. Sin has a high cost.
Every generation must face its share of trials, burdens, and problems of life. Much of it is brought on by disobedience and sinfulness. Today, America is probably the richest and most well-educated nation in the world, yet sin is a reproach to any nation. Just as righteousness exalts a nation, but sin will bring it to ruin. Along with the material wealth, America is plagued by crime, drugs abuse, broken homes and immorality and confusion. We wonder like Israel, Can anything turn our nation around? We have social programs, community-based organizations, and churches on every corner, yet the problems persist. Is all hope lost? Can anything turn this nation around? Like Israel of old, you may feel helpless to cope at times. There is hope, God promises that his faithful remnant will endure and gain the victory. All will not be lost! Here is the good news of the text.
1. God knows How to Rescue His Remnant. God will save some. God used the Assyrians to punish godless Israel. They were punished for their sin, pride and arrogance. Isaiah envisions Assyria’s reign of terror coming to an end, and God’s faithful remnant being preserved and restored. God’s plan of salvation for the world will be carried out by the faithful remnant who truly believe and obey God’s word. Israel during her great struggles needed a word from God. So Isaiah prophesies, “And it shall come to pass in that day, that his burden shall be taken away from off thy shoulder, and his yoke from off thy neck, and the yoke shall be destroyed because of the anointing.” When this specific prophesy was fulfilled, God sent an angel of death through the camp of the Assyrian army and destroyed 185, 000 men in a single night. Israel was full of fear, trying to analyze the situation and rationalize what to do, the yoke of enemy was destroyed. God knows how to rescue His remnant. If He must defy the odds, reverse the curse, or perform a miracle, God will rescue His remnant. He can rescue our loved ones, lift the lost and turn them while they are on turning ground. God knows how!
2. God Knows How To Get our Attention. God’s victory is sure because God will use every available means to get our attention. Sometimes God uses a shout, or a whisper, trouble or a blessing, whatever it takes, God will use. At a time when many classify willful sin and disobedience as a weakness or a disease. God will awaken our attention. Sin is sin regardless of a new name. Outward show of piety, improving our church programs, music, and choirs and commendable, but these things will not erase sin. Sin must be acknowledged, confessed, forsaken and wash away by the blood of Jesus. You can be sure your sins will find you out. How disturbing it seem for God to use a heathen nation to chastise His people. Isaiah was disturbed that God use Assyria to chastise Israel just as Habakkuk was disturbed that God choose to use Babylon to chastise Judah and Jerusalem. The lesson shows us that God will accomplish His plan despite our objection or confusion. God did not just set the nations in motion and leave. No, God watches over the Nations and is working constantly to His will pass in the world. A remnant of Israel would be saved. These were descendants of Abraham, who had lived in the Promised Land and enjoyed its fruitfulness, had confidence in their national heritage. Somehow, they felt that their national heritage and relationship to Abraham would provide them with security. They abandon their covenant with God, now God brings His judgment into their lives. Its not enough to rest on your heritage, we must maintain our relationship with God. Many today rely on their family’s Christian heritage, on practicing ritual, or even on past experiences with God, but they have abandoned the faith and fallen away.
Like Judah and Jerusalem of old, many have perverted justice and judgment and clothed themselves with sin and corruption. They reclassified their sin as a weakness. Some have overlooked or mistreated the poor and needy while claiming to be Christian. They make excuses for their slothfulness and inconsistency. They have forsaken the assembly of the saints. Yet, like Judah and Jerusalem, they have embrace the culture, adopted all kinds of practices, yet many people are still bound and suffer looking for a light in darkness. We, believers are God’s light in a dark world, yet at times, we hide our light under a basket and refuse to accept the responsibility. I am not criticizing our many activities, I am simple asking, Has God gotten your attention yet? Do you see the trouble all around us? We must be about our father’s business of being light in darkness and setting the captives free. God knows how to rescue the remnant and He knows how to get our attention.
3. God Will Use Anointed Believers to Set The Captives Free. The anointing of God on the believer is given to destroy the yoke of oppression and lift up the heavy burdens. Believers are a part of the ministry of Jesus. We are carrying out the same ministry that began here on earth.
Acts 10:38 “And you know that God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. Then Jesus went around doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.”
When Jesus described his ministry, He quoted Isaiah 61:1-3 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”
God’s victory is sure because Christ has come, and the time of the Lord’s favor is here. There is still a faithful remnant preaching good news to the poor, lifting up the destitute, helping the humble and mending the broken. Spiritual blindness is being lifted and a new vision is coming. This is a day of the Lord’s favor. The good news is that Satan’s power has been broken, salvation has been offered freely and release is possible. Liberty and freedom are available. This message was probably hard for Israel to hear. The condition of enslavement, brokenness, bondage, and physical distress can blind us to God’s message of hope. Today, believers are still God’s messengers of Good News. God knows how to rescue His remnant; God knows how to get our attention and God will use anointed believers to set the captives free!
In Old Testament times, the anointing oil was smeared on certain persons for service such as prophets, priests, and kings. Every New Testament believer is born of the Spirit, sanctified by the Spirit, and given the gift and graces of the Holy Spirit in all its manifestations to bless the world. We proclaim the Good News of Jesus Christ that is empowered by the Holy Spirit and will transform lives. Nothing can break the yoke and lift heavy burden except the anointing. The anointing is more than a shouting preacher or good music; popular bands and praise singers, the anointing is more. The anointing is the manifested presence of God, that saves the sinner, redeems the backslider, equips believers, and build the kingdom of God. That’s God’s work! God’s empowerments bring total victory.
There is a familiar account in Judges 13. Samson was born a blessed child of God who became a judge in Israel. His mother had prayed for him when she was barren and promised God that if he gave her son, she would make him a gift back to God. God answered her prayer and gave her a Nazarite child who was never drank wine or defiled himself with the filth of society. One day, the Spirit of the Lord, God’s holy anointing begin to move upon Samson. You can read his entire story in Judges 13 -16. There you will observe constant displays of God’s anointing on his life. Under anointing Samson slayed a thousand Philistines with the jawbone of a donkey, killed a lion with his bare hands, and demonstrated countless feats of strength. He was anointed with unlimited strength to glorify God. Samson broke his vows, defiled himself with foreign women, intoxicating wine, violating the God’s restrictions and finally cut is hair. Samson had been lured into a trap of the enemy. It seemed like so much fun while it lasted, the wine, women, games, and the careless handling of his gift. When the party is over, sin brings the bill. The wages of sin is death, the gift of God is eternal life. In Judges 16:20 we read his sad situation, after Delilah called for a barber and cut off his hair, “When she cried out, “The Philistines are attacking you, Samson!” he woke from his sleep and told himself, “I’ll go out like I did at other times like this and shake myself free.” But he didn’t know that the Lord had abandoned him.”
After living a life of compromise, Samson’s anointing was gone. Samson had given Delilah and his enemy the secret of his strength. And they took advantage of him. The strength was not in his hair, his strength was in the anointing. The hair was a symbol. Playing around with sin and handling your anointing carelessly may cause you to lose it. Samson went out courageously as before and he felt no difference; Samson shook himself as before, he felt no difference. Samson felt the same and acted the same, but the anointing was gone. The things Samson once lorded over, now had authority over him. Without the anointing, Samson still looked like the strongest man in the world, but he was weak as any other man. The Philistines took him, blinded him, and made him grind at the grinding wheel. Bound, blind and going in circles, a man without vision, no insight and void of purpose.
Samson is an example for believers who think they live careless lives with no repercussions. Those who choose sinful and immoral conduct and still claim Jesus as savior. In a final act of disobedience, Samson crossed a line he did not see. His anointing left without saying goodbye! This is a strong warning to believers that God will not tolerate our sinful acts and willful disobedience forever. Israel was carried into captivity and lost the anointing. Samson went into slavery and lost his anointing. Is there any hope? Can God bring us victory despite our sin. There is good news. After Samson repented and forsook his sin, V. 22 “But the hair on his head began to grow again after it had been shaved off.” Just feeling his hair caused Samson’s faith to come alive. V. 28 Then Samson cried out to the Lord, “Lord God, please remember me. And please strengthen me this one time, God, so that I can repay the Philistines right now for my two eyes.”
This is a good pattern for all when you feel hopeless, powerless, and bound. Samson called unto the Lord. With a repentant heart and a renewed faith, God gave him another chance. Notice how simple his prayer was, Lord, remember me! Lord, strengthen me! Lord, try me one more time. And the Lord answered his prayer. We, like Samson and Israel must acknowledge our sin. We must repent and turn to God. We must recognize when what we are doing is not working, or not being fruitful. Our preaching maybe masterful presented, our music may be fantastic and loud, the lights may be flashing and fog machine working but is there something missing? Nothing can happens without the anointing. Without the anointing, we can do nothing! We need God’s anointing power to break the yoke of oppression and lift the heavy burden for addiction, violence, and poverty. In the Church, in the homes, and in the community, we need to pray. “Lord, remember me! Lord, strengthen me, and Lord, do it one more time!” The answer to the ills of our lives, our community and our world is the anointing of God. God’s anointing lives in blood washed, born again, Holy ghost filled believers!
1 John 2:27 “But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.”
Israel, Judah, and Jerusalem had everything they needed, but failed to remain in fellowship with God. They lost everything because they flirted with sin, adopted the habits of the heathen, and turned their back on the truth. Samson lost his anointing by indulging in sinful activities, becoming a womanizer, and handled his anointing carelessly. The anointing was lifted so gradually, no one noticed its departure. They began so close to God but drift away until found themselves in a strange place, bound, blind and powerless to help themselves or anyone else. God’s Promises of victory still stands. God’s victory is sure! Help is on the way, because God knows How to Rescue His Remnant; God Knows How To Get our Attention and God Will Use Anointed Believers to Set the Captives Free! The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, for he has anointed me to bring Good News to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim that captives will be released, that the blind will see, that the oppressed will be set free, and that the time of the Lord’s favor has come.”
