THIS IS THE LORD; WE TRUSTED IN HIM
ISAIAH 25:6-9 -- October 24, 2004 -- PENTECOST 21
6On this mountain the LORD Almighty will prepare a feast of rich food for all peoples, a banquet of aged wine--the best of meats and the finest of wines. 7On this mountain he will destroy the shroud that enfolds all peoples, the sheet that covers all nations; 8 he will swallow up death forever.
The Sovereign LORD will wipe away the tears from all faces; he will remove the disgrace of his people from all the earth. The LORD has spoken.
9In that day they will say, "Surely this is our God; we trusted in him, and he saved us. This is the LORD, we trusted in him; let us rejoice and be glad in his salvation."
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Dearest Fellow Redeemed and Saints in the Lord:
Today the Lord’s table is prepared for each of us with a rich feast. We gather together to partake of this banquet freely provided by our Lord in his holy word. Over the years we have placed too much trust in ourselves – in other people – or even in the advice of the world. These misplaced trusts have left us unfulfilled and at the very edge of starvation. God has provided for us in the past, just as God provides for us in the present thus the Lord our God will abundantly provide for us in the future. This is the LORD, we trusted in him. The Lord has spoken almost these same sentiments in the Psalms: "But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the LORD, for he has been good to me" (PSALM 13:5,6). How absolutely true it is that as we examine our lives we always see that the Lord has been good to me. We are going to use the words of Isaiah in our text as our theme today:
THIS IS THE LORD, WE TRUSTED IN HIM I. Our Lord provides a rich banquet
II. We rejoice in the Lord’s salvation.
I. OUR LORD PROVIDES A RICH BANQUET
A. Isaiah was God’s chosen prophet to present God’s message of judgment and grace.
1. Isaiah proclaimed judgment because God’s people looked away instead of to God.
2. Isaiah also proclaimed God’s grace and forgiveness to the penitent sinners.
3. This is the message of grace we discover in today’s section of Isaiah as our text.
B. Our text begins with verse 6: 6On this mountain the LORD Almighty
1. This mountain contains two thoughts: the present thought is Mt. Zion – Jerusalem and the temple for worship.
2. The future thought is the New Jerusalem – Mt. Zion and heaven itself. Either thought is correct, but Isaiah refers to heaven here more than the present Zion.
3. Note also: the LORD Almighty. This term refers to the only true God, the Lord God Jehovah – Creator of the heavens and the earth and all things – Almighty!
C. Verse 6 describes in detail what the Lord Almighty is going to do for his people.
1. This is a significant statement during this time – it was with much effort that daily food, meals were provided – not to mention a banquet.
2. They were to be provided with the best of meats and the finest wines by the Lord.
D. This banquet was not just physical eating and drinking, but especially spiritual.
1. Verse 7 – the Lord was going to remove the shroud of sin that covered the world—eyes would be opened and people would see the glory of the Lord.
2. Verse 8a – The Lord’s power was to destroy even death itself.
E. Might not feel like the Israelites. We haven’t turned away from God like them. Where are our false gods? Genesis and creation reminds us Satan is alive and well and tempting. The devil asks, Did God really say…? The devil plants doubts, the world distracts and our own sinful nature can easily be blinded to the banquet our Lord provides. "And even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing. The god of this age has blinded the minds of unbelievers, so that they cannot see the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God" (2 CORINTHIANS 4:3,4).
F. How are we to defeat the devil and the world and our own sinful nature? It takes work and an effort on our part. The devil doesn’t want us to hear, read or study God’s word. The world constantly says that we do not have time for God’s word. Our sinful nature readily agrees. We need to bury the old, sinful nature and allow the new man to come forth and flourish. Then we are able to agree with Isaiah, This is the Lord, we trusted in him. "Like newborn babies, crave pure spiritual milk, so that by it you may grow up in your salvation, now that you have tasted that the Lord is good" (1 PETER 2:2,3). We have tasted that the Lord is good – this is our motivation to crave pure spiritual milk.
G. The Lord our God provides a rich banquet – himself. We are reminded that the very word of God is the very bread of life. "I am the living bread that came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever. This bread is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world" (JOHN 6:51). Our Savior shows the sacrifice he made that we might live forever. The Lord’s Supper reminds faithful believers very visibly: This is my body given for the forgiveness of sins.
The is the Lord, we trusted in him! The Lord provides a rich banquet and
II. WE REJOICE IN THE LORD’S SALVATION
A. Verse 8a clearly points to that New Jerusalem – no death, tears, sadness, and mourning.
1. The Lord Almighty does all this for his believers and for the world.
2. Verse 8b tells the disgrace of the world will be removed. This disgrace is the shame of sin.
B. The Lord has spoken. Isaiah emphasizes the truth and the power of the word of the Lord Almighty.
1. It is all the Lord’s doing that sin would be forgiven, that disgrace would be removed.
2. The people did nothing to deserve this gift; fact is, often turned way deserving wrath.
C. Verse 9 is the exciting, encouraging culmination of today’s text. This verse deserves attention.
1. 9a: People would trust in God and see his salvation – not necessarily an earthly deliverance.
2. 9b: In the end would rejoice that the Lord’s right arm has won the victory for them.
D. Rejoice and celebrated in this message of God’s salvation. This is a message that is not heard or even discussed in this world around us. People are not so anxious to feast at the Lord’s banquet. We may even forget or worse, turn our backs on the Lord’s invitation to feast freely. May let the world make it seem as if it is not that important to be involved with God’s word. But missing God’s banquet is a very serious matter. "Therefore, he who rejects this instruction does not reject man but God, who gives you his Holy Spirit" (1 THESSALONIANS 4:8).
E. How are you and I to overcome all the distractions and apathy in the world and our own sinful nature? The Lord reminds us to prepare ourselves for the Lord’s abundant blessings. "Sow for yourselves righteousness, reap the fruit of unfailing love, and break up your unplowed ground; for it is time to seek the LORD, until he comes and showers righteousness on you" (HOSEA 10:12). Sow righteousness and harvest unfailing love. Our God is anxious to shower righteousness on us.
F. Life is not always easy. Maybe not always feel like celebrating or rejoicing. May feel like to ready to give up in despair. BUT the Lord says to celebrate God’s salvation. Think not so much of past or present but concentrate on future. What is the Lord’s blessed promise concerning our well-being and eternal salvation? "When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ’Death has been swallowed up in victory’" (1 CORINTHIANS 15:54).
This is the Lord, we trusted in him. Our loving Lord has provided each of us with a rich banquet. Our loving Lord invites to rejoice and celebrate salvation. May each of us learn to appreciate the rich banquet our Lord provides that we would constantly rejoice in our eternal salvation. Jeremiah, at first, not too excited that Lord wanted him to be his servant. Jeremiah soon learned the precious of the message of salvation. "When your words came, I ate them; they were my joy and my heart’s delight, for I bear your name, O LORD God Almighty" (JEREMIAH 15:16). Amen. Pastor Timm O. Meyer
