THE MESSAGE OF ISAIAH THE PROPHET
Text - Isaiah 55: 1 - 11
The Book of Isaiah is a miniature Bible. It has 66 chapters
just as the Bible has 66 books. The first 39 chapters of
Isaiah speak for the most part of law and judgment just as
the 39 books of the Old testament. The last 27 chapters of
Isaiah speak of comfort, restoration, and mercy under the
Messiah just as the 27 books of the New Testament speak of
Jesus the Christ (Messiah). Isaiah contains a bit of all
that is found in the rest of the Bible. Isaiah’s message
covers about every theme and doctrine of the Bible. Isaiah
preached over a period of about 40 years.
There are a many great verses and chapters in the Book of
Isaiah. One who studies the book cannot but be inspired by:
Isa. 6 - where Isaiah meets the Lord
Isa. 14- where the fall of Satan from heaven is described
Isa. 38- where the Lord gives weeping Hezekiah 15 more
years to live
Isa. 53- where we find the prophecy of the Crucifixion
detailed over 800 years before it occurred.
I WANT US TO LOOK INTO THIS GREAT BOOK FOR A FEW MOMENTS AND
CONSIDER SIX OF THE GREAT STATEMENTS MADE IN THE BOOK AND
THEIR APPLICATION TO US IN OUR DAY.
I. THE PROMISE OF FORGIVENESS - Isa. 1:18
What a message to the world in which we live. It is a fact.
It is a command. It is an invitation. It is a promise.
A. Notice the invitation - "Come". There are 642 personal
invitations in the Bible to "Come" and in every case it is
God who gives the invitation.
"Come thou and thy family into the Ark"
"Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden"
"Suffer the little children to come unto me..."
"The Spirit and the Bride say come and let him that
heareth say come and let him that is athirst come..."
"Come" means action and a change of direction. You do not
usually tell someone to come who is coming. You tell
someone to come who is standing still or going in another
direction.
B. Notice the time - "Now".
Now is the accepted time -II Cor. 6:2.
Boast not thyself of tomorrow - Prov. 27:1
Today if ye will hear his voice harden not your hearts -
Heb. 3:7
What a message to those who say they have plenty of time.
C. Notice the main characters - "us" - You and God.
D. Notice the possibilities - forgiveness and cleansing.
"Crimson" indicates glaring sins. Crimson was an indelible
color. They could not get it out of anything that it got
into. Man cannot get rid of his sins either. GOD CAN
FORGIVE AND CLEANSE THE WORST OF SINNERS.
II. THE PROMISE OF PEACE - Isa. 26:3
This promise of peace was given to the nation in a very
dark period of their history. This is a promise for times of
trouble and trial, disappointment and temptation, tears,
anguish, loss and bereavement. In times of sunshine this
promise may seem unimportant but in dark days this promise
becomes very precious.
Notice that the promise of peace is not to take the
trouble away from us but to give us peace in the midst of our
trouble.
But what kind of peace is God offering? Perfect peace!
There is no room in a soul at perfect peace for such things
as jealousy, envy, discontent, selfishness, pride, criticism,
fear, or anxiety.
How perfect?
Perfect in Kind. if God promises a peace that is perfect then
he is not speaking of an imperfect one.
Perfect in Quantity. The supply is able to meet the need.
Phil.4:7 speaks of a peace of heart and mind.
Perfect in Constancy. This peace is not off and on, up and
down.
There are two requirements - Our mind must be stayed on Him.
We must trust in Him.
III. THE PROMISE OF GUIDANCE - Isa. 30:21
We need the guidance of the Lord lest we miss eternal reward.
We need the guidance of the Lord lest we get in trouble.
Gal.5:18 speaks of the leading of the Spirit.
Psa.23:2 -"he leadeth me"
IV. THE PROMISE OF STRENGTH - Isa. 40:28 - 31
Many times the people of god faint and have no strength -
Vs.29
Many times we get weary and fall - Vs.30
We know this from God’s Word but we see it in others by
observation and in our own lives by experience.
What does God promise us here?
He promises strength in the place of weakness.
Renew in Vs.31 means "exchange".
God will exchange your physical weakness, mental
weakness, moral weakness, and spiritual weakness into
strength.
What does God promise us here?
1. He promises us life above the average. Eagles are
birds that live on the highest plane. they can fly higher and
go further than lesser species of birds. We can be like them
with God’s help.
2. He promises us that we can do supernatural things.
"We will be able to run and not be weary." This is not
natural but God promises us his help in doing the
supernatural because we are a supernatural people linked
to a supernatural God.
3. He promises us that we shall live victorously in the
hardest place of all which is the daily routine of life. "We
shall walk and not faint".
Now why don’t we have this in our experience? Two reasons.
First, we are ignorant of his resources at our disposal.
Note Isa. 40:28 - "Hast thou not known?" What is at our
disposal? See Isa. 40:28. The Everlasting God is at our
disposal.
Second, we fail to tap these resourses.
We don’t know and we don’t take. Yet God is willing to give
V. THE PROMISE OF PROTECTION - Isa. 43: 1 - 2
There are many verse in the Bible that tell me that the Lord
will protect me. Psalm 91 is filled with them. Psalm 37 is
another passage. Psa. 140:7 says "Lord...thou hast covered my
head in the day of battle."
You find one of the great promises of protection for God’s
people here in this passage. Water and fire are the greatest
natural threats to mankind. This promise reminds me of Noah,
the children of Israel at the Red Sea and the River Jordan,
and the three Hebrew children.
VI. THE PROMISE OF RESTORATION - Isa. 55: 6 - 8
A. Notice the Basis of Restoration - vs. 6
It is the Lord.
If you are ever going to come to God or return to God then He
is the ONLY One to come to. BUT YOU HAD BETTER DO IT WHILE HE
MAY BE FOUND. If you cross the bounds of mercy he cannot be
found. If you die unsaved then he canot be found. If Jesus
comes again before you accept him then he cannot be found. If
you sear your conscience and harden your heart he may not be
found.
B. Notice the Hinderances to Restoration - Vs. 7
They are "wicked ways" and "unrighteous thoughts". They are
the things you do and the things you think. God destroyed the
world of Noah’s day because their thoughts were on the evil
continually. As a man thinketh so he is - Prov. 23:7
Vs. 11 - God promises His Word will work with you.
Vs. 1 - God has paid it all if you will but come.
Vs. 12 - 13 tell you of the benefits of coming.
IN CLOSING -
SEEK THE LORD - Matt. 11:28
Rev. 3:20
THIRSTY? - COME TO HIM!
HAVE NO MONEY? - COME FREELY TO HIM
BUT COME NOW WHILE THERE IS TIME TO COME.
