Guide Us God: A Prophetic Reminder
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Intro:
Isaiah 40:1-2
Today, I want to preach on the topic of [Guide us God], the subject of my message is, [A Prophetic Reminder].
Who has ever forgot something?
Who has a tendency to forget things often?
If so, that is okay, we live in a forgetful society. In a recent survey, over half (56 percent) of respondents consider themselves forgetful — and 66 percent said they’ve become more forgetful in the past decade.
With life getting busier and more hectic, people have become more forgetful. How many of these sound familiar?
Top forgetful moments experienced by Americans
Forget a password:51 percent
Forget things when I grocery shop: 51 percent
Misplace my keys: 49 percent
Forget what I went into a room for: 49 percent
Forget people’s names after being introduced: 47 percent
Have a word on the tip of my tongue and not remember what it is: 46 percent
Walk into a room and forget why I’m there: 38 percent
Forget where I put my pen: 35 percent
Forget what day it is: 35 percent
Misplace cell phone: 35 percent
Forget words to songs: 35 percent
Forget to mail something: 34 percent
Forget where the car was parked: 33 percent
Forget to respond to an email: 32 percent
Forget a friend or family members’ phone number: 31 percent
Misplace my wallet: 31 percent
Forget my pin number(s): 29 percent
Forget what I’m searching for online: 29 percent
Forget to reply to texts: 28 percent
It reminds me of a lady who came to the altar in a revival for prayer went to her seat and came back explaining, “I meant to have you pray for my memory, but I forgot, will you pray for me?”
We are prone to forget. Most of those forgetful moments are relatively minor and just a part of life. People in Scripture had a tendency to be forgetful as well.
That is what I want us to notice in Isaiah 40. The people of God went through a continuous cycle of experiencing God’s favor and goodness and then forgetting how good He was, leading them into a lifestyle of sin.
In fact, the first part of Isaiah’s ministry dealt with forgetful people. They consistently forget the need to live close to the Lord. there is a reason he began this prophecy with comfort, comfort my people.
The first 39 chapters were not very comforting. The people forgot God and Isaiah proclaimed judgment.
2 Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth! For the Lord has spoken: “I have nourished and brought up children, And they have rebelled against Me;
What a way to begin a book of the Bible- rebellious children. He issued a scathing indictment in prophecy after prophecy.
He prophesied of a coming invasion and captivity because of the people’s willingness to forget God. They were nation with bad leadership, full of pride and rebellion against God, and their evil ways angered God.
Isaiah also proclaimed judgment against:
The Assyrians
The Philistines
The Moabites
The Egyptians
The Babylonians
and if Jerusalem thought they could avoid the judgment, Isaiah promised God’s judgment on them:
they were spiritually lazy
they trusted in foreign alliances more than God
they forgot all that God did for them.
It seems that forgetting God is much more serious than misplacing our keys or phone.
But the book changes in Isaiah 40. Isaiah is the second longest book of the Bible and it is set up just like the Bible:
There are 39 books in the Old Testament
There are 27 books in the New Testament
The Old Testament focuses on the Law of God and how the people forgot God’s law
The New Testament centers on the grace of God and how the people experience God
The Old Testament has positive aspects, but the majority shows us how quickly the people forgot God
The New Testament has the most positive story in history, as Jesus came to change the world.
The first 39 chapters of Isaiah mirror the Old Testament, focusing on the sin and rebellion of the people, with some promises and hope sprinkled through there.
The last 27 chapters of Isaiah mirror the New Testament focusing on the promises of God and the hope that will come through the Savior.
Hearing Isaiah’s prophecy in Isaiah 40 would have comforted the people as they recieved a prophetic reminding that guided them back to God.
We live in a day where it seems people have forgotten God, but He wants to guide us back with a prophetic reminder. What all do people have the tendency to forget about God?
Isaiah shows them, [Forgetting God’s Revelation], [Forgetting God’s Reputation], and [Forgetting God’s Renewal].
Let’s begin
1. Forgetting God’s Revelation
1. Forgetting God’s Revelation
Isaiah 40:3-5
Though Isaiah prophesied God’s judgment would come, then then began to speak of a day when God would raise up a voice to remind the people of how God wants to reveal Himself to them.
Notice how the passage begins. We can visualize the people in a wilderness. It is easy to get lost in a wilderness. It is easy to forget where we are and where we are headed in a wilderness.
But the Lord will raise up a voice that will call on people to clear the way to make a highway. Furthermore, God will:
fill the valleys,
level the mountains,
straighten the curves,
and smooth the rough places.
Why would God do this?
Isaiah is painting the picture of God removing ANY and EVERY obstacle that might stand in the way of people from Him.
There were spiritual mountains and valleys that distracted the people and got them off course, but God had a plan— He was going to reveal His glory and ALL people would see it together.
Why?
Because God will remove the obstacles that keep us from seeing God. The distractions, busyness, and burdens of life can get us off course.
God’s solution?
He wanted to reveal His glory to them.
14 For the earth will be filled With the knowledge of the glory of the Lord, As the waters cover the sea.
I mentioned this a while back, but when we have the KNOWLEDGE that God will send HIS glory, then everything will change.
God’s people needed to remember the times God:
Revealed His glory to Moses in a burning bush
Revealed His glory to Israel in a cloud by day and fire by night
Revealed His glory on the Mountain when He gave the Law
Revealed His glory on the dedication day of the Temple
Revealed His glory when Elijah called down fire from heaven
For some reason, the distractions of life caused them to forget all the times God revealed Himself. They needed a prophetic reminder for they had forget the revelation of His glory.
2. Forgetting God’s Reputation
2. Forgetting God’s Reputation
Isaiah 40:27-28
Isaiah asked very pointed questions:
Have you never heard?
Have you never understood?
That God is everlasting, creator of everything?
The people assumed that God did not see their current circumstances. That can have a few meanings. Some lived with the idea that they could live however they wanted because God could not see and did not care.
Others assumed that the Lord was disinterested in their problems or difficulties.
Obviously they forgot God’s reputation. Isaiah asked these questions after spending twenty-six verses emphasizing God’s reputation.
For the sake of time, we will not read the entire chapter, but I will summarize God’s reputation.
He reminded them that God is eternal. His word stands forever. He told them, the grass withers and the flowers fade, but God’s word stands forever. He is eternal.
He reminded them of God’s gentleness. He feeds His people like a shepherd, carrying His lambs in His arms, holding them close to His heart. He is gentle.
He reminded them that God is all powerful. He holds the oceans in His hands. He measures the heavens with His fingers. He knows the weight of the earth. He created all the stars and knows each of them by name. He is omnipotent.
He reminded them that God is all knowing. He does not need anyone’s advice. No one can teach Him anything. He does not need any instruction. He is omniscient.
He reminded them God is sovereign. Nations have come and gone, but He is still around. It was His words that created the world. He sits above the earth on His throne. He is sovereign.
He reminded them that God is unique. There is no comparison to Him. No one can resemble Him. No one can craft an idol to compare to Him. He is God and there is NONE like Him. He is unique.
He went through God’s reputation and then asks, how can you say that God does not know your troubles?
Haven’t you heard, don’t you know? He is everlasting!
They needed a prophetic reminder of all God has done for His people:
He created the heavens the earth
He spared Noah and his family
He made a covenant with Abraham
He opened the heavens over Jacob
He got Joseph out of prison
He set the Israelites from slavery
He parted the Red Sea
He knocked down the walls of Jericho
He gave them the promised land
He came through time and time again
And for some reason they forgot His revelation and reputation. That is why they needed a prophetic reminder.
3. Forgetting God’s Renewal
3. Forgetting God’s Renewal
Isaiah 40:29-31
After promising God would reveal His glory.
After he recounted God’s reputation.
Isaiah chose to remind the people of the power God has to renew His people.
He reminded them that God gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Then to make sense of the need for God’s power in their lives, he uses the example of young people.
Children, youth, are often known for their boundless energy. I get amazed watching Davis, wondering, will he ever get tired. And sure enough, eventually, he becomes tired and falls asleep in exhaustion.
Many of the people who heard Isaiah speak would identify with his words of feeling tired and weary.
Why were they tired and weary?
They forgot about God’s revelation, they lived outside of His presence. They omitted his reputation within their lives. They lived as though there was a God, but he was not concerned with His people.
No wonder they were tired. But Isaiah reminded them, those who WAIT on the Lord. What does it mean to wait?
Waiting means more than simply sitting around. To wait means to hope or trust. While they waited on God, they would grow in their hope, confidence, and trust in God.
Then, as they waited on God, they would find new strength. God would renew them. When I hear the word renew, I think of the feeling I get when I am in God’s presence.
However, in the original language, the word renew means to exchange.
We could read it this way, those who trust/hope in the Lord, will exchange their weariness for new strength.
Evidently it had been some time since the people had recieved something from God. Instead of exchanging their sorrow, sadness, and difficulties for God’s joy and strength, they lived life without God’s help.
The Lord prompted Isaiah to issue a prophetic reminder— GOD STILL RENEWS HIS PEOPLE.
When someone makes that great exchange, giving their weariness for rest and strength, they will soar high on eagle’s wings.
That phrase, in itself, was a reminder.
4 ‘You have seen what I did to the Egyptians, and how I bore you on eagles’ wings and brought you to Myself.
God compared the Israelites leaving Egypt with an eagle swooping down and helping them fly away. God wanted them to remember, I have done it before:
I exchanged your slavery for freedom
I exchanged your exhaustion for rest
I exchanged for bondage for liberty
If I did it once, I can and will do it again! God wanted to give them the strength they needed to keep running and walking for the Lord, not away from the Lord.
For some reason, they seemed to forget that God will renew them and give them strength.
Close:
How easy it is to forget. God’s people forgot the importance of placing God first. To remedy their forgetfulness, God sent a prophetic reminder.
He reminded them that God wants to show His glory.
He reminded them of God’s reputation, He is always there for His people.
He reminded them that those who wait, trust, and hope in God can exchange their weariness for rest and God will renew them.
I wonder how Isaiah’s original audience felt upon hearing these word. It is likely the recieved the message with joy and gladness. But as people tend to do, generations passed and the forgot all over again.
Around 300 hundred years after Isaiah issued this prophetic reminder, the people once again entered a season where they forgot God.
In fact, at the close of the Old Testament, it would be another 400 years before God would speak to His people again through a prophet.
Imagine four centuries without hearing God’s voice. By that time there was no one alive who could remember how He sounded.
There was no one alive who could remember the revelation of His glory.
Countless people forgot His reputation.
And most of His people lost hope of every seeing another renewal in their life.
They seemed to forget. God decided to send a prophetic reminder. He used a peculiar man who wore clothes made of camels hair and lived on a diet of locusts and wild honey.
1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,
2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”
3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’ ”
What was John’s role— to remind the people:
God will still reveal His glory
God still has a reputation of saving people
God will one day renew people through the power of the Holy Spirit
Who then was the one who would do all of this?
People looked to John and wondered, are you the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy?
16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.
After preparing the people and reminding them— GOD WILL REVEAL AND RENEW FOR IT IS HIS REPUTATION.
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
John saw Him and told everyone, this man Jesus, HE is the fulfillment of God’s plan. He is the one who will take away sins.
All throughout Jesus’s life, He went around:
Revealing God’s glory
Continuing God’s reputation
Renewing people who would trust in Him
He is the ANSWER for the WORLD.
As I read the prophecy of Isaiah, the words of John, and the actions of Jesus, I couldn’t help but wonder, do we live in a day where people have forgot?
Have we got too busy that we have forgot?
Has is it been so long that we forget that Jesus is the one we need?
How long has it been since God revealed His glory in our lives?
Have we forgotten the joy of being in the presence?
Has it been a long time since we cried, shouted, entered into undignified worship?
When was the last time we wanted God to remove every obstacle so that we could be in His glory?
What about His reputation?
When was the last time we:
watched Jesus save a sinner
prayed someone through to the baptism in the Holy Spirit
experienced His healing power?
What about renewal?
When was the last time we waited on Him UNTIL He renewed us?
When was the last time He exchanged dead religion for the fire of the Holy Spirit?
28 Have you not known? Have you not heard? The everlasting God, the Lord, The Creator of the ends of the earth, Neither faints nor is weary. His understanding is unsearchable.
29 He gives power to the weak, And to those who have no might He increases strength.
Today is the day God is ready to issue a prophetic reminder. If we will call on Him, HE WILL:
reveal His glory
continue His reptuation
renew our lives