The 4^th Sunday After Epiphany

SERMON

Text: Isaiah 51:1-12

"Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness, You who seek the Lord: Look to the rock from which you were hewn, And to the hole of the pit from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father, And to Sarah who bore you; For I called him alone, And blessed him and increased him. For the Lord will comfort Zion, He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the Lord; Joy and gladness will be found in it, Thanksgiving and the voice of melody. Listen to Me, My people; And give ear to Me, O My nation: For law will proceed from Me, And I will make My justice rest As a light of the peoples. My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, And My arms will judge the peoples; The coastlands will wait upon Me, And on My arm they will trust. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, And look on the earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish away like smoke, The earth will grow old like a garment, And those who dwell in it will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not be abolished. Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, You people in whose heart is My law: Do not fear the reproach of men, Nor be afraid of their insults. For the moth will eat them up like a garment, And the worm will eat them like wool; But My righteousness will be forever, And My salvation from generation to generation. Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord! Awake as in the ancient days, In the generations of old. Are You not the arm that cut Rahab apart, And wounded the serpent? Are You not the One who dried up the sea, The waters of the great deep; That made the depths of the sea a road For the redeemed to cross over? So the ransomed of the Lord shall return, And come to Zion with singing, with everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness; Sorrow and sighing shall flee away. I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid of a man who will die, and of the son of a man who will be made like grass?

In Christ Jesus, Who is the rock from which we have been born again and upon which we firmly stand, even when the world trembles and quakes and crumbles—dear fellow redeemed:

This morning isn’t anymore what it once was. It began in a very typical way—more-or-less on schedule and according to play. Then I received the phone call from Pastor Nolting informing me that during the night, the Lord called Carol Hanel home to Himself and eternal rest in heaven. The suddenness of the news and the feeling of earthly loss meant that all of a sudden things were different.

This isn’t the only kind of news that can change a morning. There are many things that can rise up, change our perspective on a day—things of sorrow, things of fear, uncertainty, and also at times sudden news that brings joy and expectation like the announcement of the birth of a child.

It is the HARD things…the SORROWFUL things that remind each of us of our sinful state and all the troubles that we have inherited through sin, and with which our spiritual enemies would like to overwhelm us.

When sorrowful times come—and it doesn’t even have to be as significant as the earthly loss of a loved one—when sorrowful times come they can bring with them different things and mean different changes for different people. When sorrowful times come to children of God, we know exactly what to do.

When a child is hurt, or crying he/she runs home…runs home to Mom or Dad to "make it better." As children of God we know EXACTLY what to do….we run to the arms of our Heavenly Father because our Help comes from Him who made heaven and earth (cf: Psalm 121:2). This is what we are going to do here this morning…run to our Savior for help and strength for WHATEVER ANY of us are facing—and it is a safe conclusion that each of us facing SOMETHING

In the stories of a small town citizen going to the "big city" to make it "big," there’s always a familiar refrain: "Don’t forget your roots, boy…don’t forget where you came from…" As we run to our heavenly Father this morning for help and aid, as we live day by day in a world that is troublesome, we need to remember from where we came and how we came to where we are.

This morning for whatever your own individual needs might be or whatever our needs might be collectively, we have come to grow in the wisdom of God and to be strengthened and encouraged along our heavenward journey so LOOK TO THE ROCK FROM WHICH YOU WERE HEWN I. Look and remember your origin II. Look and await the Lord’s Judgment III. Look and trust the unshakeable comfort

I.

The setting of these words of Isaiah to the people of Israel was in the dark days of Israel. The coming judgment of the Lord against the people of Israel because of their sins made up a large portion of Isaiah’s message; but this portion he addressed to the believers. In the midst of darkness and despair, Isaiah (by inspiration of God) addressed these words to the BELIEVERS for comfort and for help. "Listen to Me, you who follow after righteousness" – you BELIEVERS [v.1]. Later on, "Listen to Me, My people and give ear to Me, O My Nation…" "…Listen to Me, you who know righteousness you people in whose heart is My law(instruction)" [v.4,7]

The BELIEVERS in this dark time in Israel with God’s judgment looming over them were to "look to the rock from which you were hewn and to the hole of the pit from which you were dug. Look to Abraham your father, And to Sarah who bore you; For I called him alone, And blessed him and increased him." [vv. 1-2]

In his other preaching, Isaiah was saying, "You—the nation of Israel—are going to face the JUDGMENT of God because you are NOT part of His true people. You are APART from God because you have separated yourselves from God." Then to the BELIEVERS he said, "Look to the rock from which you were hewn—look to your history. Look to what God has done for you, and what should you see there? There you will see God’s PROMISE to Abraham, His FAITHFULNESS, and His MERCY; and together with these you will also see Abraham’s reliance on that faithful God.

In Romans, Paul writes: "What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? "Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness" (Romans 4:1-3).

When the people in those dark days of Israel were to look back to Abraham what would they see? They would see and remember how God had promised to Abraham that he would be come the father of a great nation. That promise had been completed. They would see how God had promised to Abraham that from his seed a Savior would come and bring deliverance from sin. That promise was not yet complete but God was still making the promise. They would look and see the Lord’s mercifulness and faithfulness and they would see how their ancestor, Abraham, put EVERYTHING and rested EVERYTHING on that sure Word of God.

In Romans, Paul describes the rock-solid faith Abraham had in God’s Promise even when to trust it seemed so foolish: "[Abraham] contrary to hope, in hope believed, so that he became the father of many nations, according to what was spoken, "So shall your descendants be. And not being weak in faith, he did not consider his own body, already dead (since he was about a hundred years old), and the deadness of Sarah’s womb. He did not waver at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strengthened in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully convinced that what He had promised He was also able to perform. And therefore "it was accounted to him for righteousness" (Romans 5:18-22).

Abraham’s wife, Sarah, was also part of the origin of Israel and she too shared in this confidence in God’s Promise. In the Genesis accounts, we hear a number of times about Sarah’s weaknesses in her trust, but Abraham too experienced weakness at times. Speaking of Sarah’s faith the writer to the Hebrews declares: "By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore" (Hebrews 11:11-12).

This was the ROCK from which Israel had been cut. This was the origin of what they had. They had in their SPIRITUAL ancestry two people who were faithful to the Word of God, who put every hope in Him, who trusted God completely because God’s Word was just that SURE and He was just that FAITHFUL. This was what the people were to see when they looked back. As they saw their countrymen being UNfaithful, as they saw the judgment of God about ready to come down upon their nation, they could look back and remember God’s faithfulness and with all their might hang onto that promise for their own strength and help. "Look back and remember your origin—your origin in your faithful father and mother, Abraham and Sarah."

As we heard in our Gospel lesson, the Pharisees did look to the rock from which they were hewn. They looked to their national ancestor, Abraham. They looked and saw the wrong things. They looked for the wrong reasons. They looked and saw: "There is a bloodline of which we can be proud. There is a bloodline of which I am a part and I, therefore, must be part of the people of God!" They DIDN’T LOOK to the FAITH of Abraham and even more importantly they didn’t look to the OBJECT of that faith, namely, Christ.

We are the SPIRITUAL DESCENDANTS of Abraham. WE ARE, through our faith in Christ, the TRUE SEED of Abraham. As Paul writes in Galatians, "You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus…if you are Christ’s then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise" (Galatians 3:27,29).

So we can look back to the same rock from which the Children of Israel were cut. First of all, we are cut out of the rock of sin because like the Children of Israel and like Abraham himself, we are sinners.

Before journeying to Canaan Abraham lived with an idolatrous family with false gods in the home. Abraham was faithful and trusted God’s promises but he wasn’t perfect, he had sin; and Abraham one day realized the end result of all sinners when he died and was buried. Abraham was cut from the rock of sin just as we are—that is our first origin; BUT Abraham had his faith accounted to him for righteousness and thereby escapes sin’s condemnation because he relied on that promise of God and salvation from sin was tied to that promise through the Messiah who would come from Abraham’s family.

Abraham was, therefore, ultimately cut from the rock of SALVATION through faith. When we put our faith in Christ we, too, are cut from that same rock. As Paul wrote to the Colossians, "[you] have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him" (Colossians 3:10). We heard in our epistle reading that we were once strangers and foreigners but now we are stones in that temple of Christ. Peter writes that we were once not a people "…but now are the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy" (1 Peter 2:10).

Remember and look back to the rock from which you have been cut! You were cut out of the rock of sin and then renewed through the work of Christ and cut out of that rock of righteousness—out of salvation.

So as we look back to Abraham and to our own history of God’s grace in our lives we don’t want to look at the wrong things as did the Pharisees. We want to look at all that God has accomplished for us through our Savior. We look back and see our origin in sin and confess our sins and seek forgiveness. Then we remember that rock of salvation from which we have been cut and rejoice in the grace of God!

II.

While we are looking back at our origin and find joy in being cut from salvation and built upon Christ, we still face hardships here on the earth. Those troubles and hardships can sometimes be from people trying to injure us because of our faith in Christ. We recall the vision of John in Revelation when he "…saw under the altar the souls of those who had been slain for the word of God and for the testimony which they held. And they cried with a loud voice, saying, "How long, O Lord, holy and true, until You judge and avenge our blood on those who dwell on the earth?" (Revelation 6:9-10).

Look to the Rock and await the Lord’s judgement and justice. The believing Israelites in the dark days of Isaiah’s time were awaiting that judgment of the Lord, but they were also putting trust in the promise of deliverance. God declared His coming judgment but He also promised to give deliverance and bring the people back to their homeland after being taken captive by their enemies. God told His people, "You are going to be oppressed by enemies, the heathen nations are going to overthrow you, but don’t let that discourage you because I WILL work my Will and my Justice and that will—in the end—be to your benefit.

God says: "Listen to Me, My people; And give ear to Me, O My nation: For law will proceed from Me, And I will make My justice rest As a light of the peoples. My righteousness is near, My salvation has gone forth, And My arms will judge the peoples; The coastlands will wait upon Me, And on My arm they will trust. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, And look on the earth beneath. For the heavens will vanish away like smoke, The earth will grow old like a garment, And those who dwell in it will die in like manner; But My salvation will be forever, And My righteousness will not be abolished. Listen to Me, you who know righteousness, You people in whose heart is My law: Do not fear the reproach of men, Nor be afraid of their insults. For the moth will eat them up like a garment, And the worm will eat them like wool; But My righteousness will be forever, And My salvation from generation to generation." [vv.4-8]

It was true, there were unbelieving nations who were already taking advantage of the Israelites and would continue to do so, and even more so. The Israelites could look and see the heathen nations prospering over against "God’s people" and it wouldn’t look like justice was being done; but God assured them that justice would be done and the sins of the other nations would also face judgment. God encouraged the faithful Israelites to hold onto His promise and await His judgment and justice at His appointed time. God reminded the people that He does reign over all things and the seeming triumph of God’s enemies is really nothing, because they and every earthly thing will fade away but God will remain! All the troubles and everything on earth will be gone. Those that oppress you—you don’t have to be afraid of them because they are going to disappear and be eaten up like a moth eats a garment and a worm eats wool. God says, "Don’t worry about the things of the world that are oppressing you because I will bring judgment upon all wickedness and evil of the world and I will give you My righteousness—My salvation for you—and that CANNOT disappear and WILL NOT fade away.

As we look to that same rock from which we were hewn and await the Lord’s judgment and justice, we take good lessons for ourselves. There is NOTHING on earth that can ultimately dismay us. We might have difficulty and may experience sorrow, but everything here is temporary and if it is only temporary then it can only trouble us for a time. The Lord’s salvation and His righteousness are FOREVER…will not be abolished…and will extend from generation to generation.

The Children of Israel faced the prospect of enemy nations overtaking them. Likewise, we might look out at the world and see the wickedness and envy the prosperity of people who don’t follow God’s Word; or at least struggle at times understanding how God can prosper them and not the believers. In Psalm 73, the Psalmist, Asaph, said he experienced those feelings. "Truly God is good to Israel, to such as are pure in heart. But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped. For I was envious of the boastful, when I saw the prosperity of the wicked. For there are no pangs in their death, but their strength is firm. They are not in trouble as other men, Nor are they plagued like other men…" (Psalm 73:1-5).

Asaph goes on to list several ways in which the wicked prospered but then he remembered that this success was only temporary, then he remembered that the Lord’s judgment and justice would come and that he had something greater than any earthly prosperity. He wrote, "…then I understood their end…You cast them down to destruction. Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment!…You hold Me by my right hand. You will guide me with Your counsel and afterward receive me to glory….my flesh and my heart fail; but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever" (Psalm 73:17ff).

Whether it be the TEMPORARY prosperity of evildoers that troubles us, or if we face persecution and trouble we face because of our faith in Christ we can be assured that God’s judgment will come and await that day with confidence knowing that on that Day all the temporary sorrow and trouble will be gone. Whatever the trouble we face on the earth it is fading, but the righteousness and salvation of our Lord is FOREVER!

III

As we continue looking back to our origin and waiting for the Lord’s judgment, the Lord gives us unshakeable comfort on which we can trust—COMPLETELY. "For the Lord will comfort Zion (the Believers). He will comfort all her waste places; He will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord; Joy and gladness will be found in it, thanksgiving and the voice of melody…" [v.3]

Later on in the text, Isaiah’s words shift. In the first part it is the Lord speaking calling upon His people to hear Him. Then, it becomes the people of God offering the prayer: "Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord! Awake as in the ancient days, In the generations of old. Are You not the arm that cut Rahab (that is, Egypt) apart, And wounded the serpent? Are You not the One who dried up the sea, The waters of the great deep; That made the depths of the sea a road For the redeemed to cross over?" [v.9-10]

The people of God called upon Him in their need. "Lord, hear us! Lord, awake and help us! Come, deliver us!" Their cries were not unheard nor left unanswered for the Isaiah’s words continue, "So the ransomed of the Lord shall return, And come to Zion with singing, With everlasting joy on their heads. They shall obtain joy and gladness; Sorrow and sighing shall flee away. I, even I, am He who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid Of a man who will die, And of the son of a man who will be made like grass?" [v.11-12].

The Lord did provide deliverance for His people Israel from their earthly enemies, and then in the fullness of time sent His Son to be their deliverer—and ours—from sin and death and every sorrow. The Lord’s words are still our unshakeable comfort today and every day, "Sorrow and sighing shall flee away. I, even I, am He who comforts you." What powerful words! – I EVEN I, the Lord who made you, who has cared for you…I EVEN I, your loving Savior who gave Himself for you so that your sins are washed away completely…I EVEN I, the God of heaven and earth who has all things in My command…I EVEN I – this Savior God and King over all, am the one who comforts YOU! "Let the world shake and crumble, don’t be sorrowful without comfort BECAUSE sorrow and sighing will be GONE and I will remain and YOU with Me," says Your God.

Earlier in Isaiah, God gives another description of what it means to have Him as our unshakeable comfort. "Thus says the Lord, who created you, O Jacob, and He who formed you, O Israel: ‘Fear not, for I have redeemed you; I have called you by your name; You are Mine. When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow you. When you walk through the fire, you shall not be burned, Nor shall the flame scorch you. For I am the Lord your God, The Holy One of Israel, your Savior…’ (Isaiah 43:1-3). The Lord knows each of you by name, He made you and promises to preserve you. He has redeemed you from sin and will accomplish every other needful thing for you to bring you to heaven where you will be with Him forever (cf: 2 Timothy 4:18). This is unshakeable comfort in which we can trust.

It is so important that we all keep looking back to the Rock from which we were cut….

CHILDREN look back to the rock of your parents from which you were cut. See their weaknesses and realize that you share in some of those same weaknesses and others like them and then stand guard! Also look and see how they brought Jesus and salvation to you. Look and see the strengths of your parents and remember where they found that strength, namely the rock of Christ from which they were hewn through faith. You have been cut from that same rock.

So often as the younger generations, we might want to go a different way but we are instructed to look back to the Rock from which we were hewn. God speaks to us through Jeremiah in this way, "Thus says the Lord, ‘Stand in the ways and see, and ask for the old paths, where the good way is, and walk in it; then you will find rest for your souls’" (Jeremiah 6:16). Hang on to that Truth which has been enduring for all generations, therein lies salvation! Look back to the rock from which you were hewn—look back to the salvation you have.

FEARFUL ONES—whoever has cause to fear for any reason—look back, rejoice, establish yourselves on the rock from which you’ve been cut and don’t fear. Paul wrote Timothy, "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of POWER and of LOVE and of a SOUND MIND" (2 Timothy 1:7).

ALL OF US, whatever our needs, whatever our fears and sorrows—When we look back and remember the Rock of our Salvation…as we wait patiently for the Lord’s judgment and the fulfillment of the rest of His promises, we have the sure confidence and are "persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord" (Romans 8:38-39). We can look BACK to the ROCK and go FORWARD with STRENTH! Amen.

—Pastor Wayne C. Eichstadt