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©Copyright March 6, 2022 by Rev. Bruce Goettsche
When we began this series in Isaiah, I told you that Isaiah is often call the “Fifth Gospel” because of the way it looks toward Christ.
We are going to see a great example of that in our text in Isaiah 12 today.
In Isaiah 12 we read a song of praise for the Lord’s salvation on the day when it reaches its fulfillment (which is the picture in chapter 11).
In other words, this is what we will likely say as we look back on our lives in light of our eternity in God’s presence.
This text is, if you will, a picture of the way we will have wished we had lived as we look back.
It is a day that should change our perspective and inspire our worship today.
1 In that day you will sing:
“I will praise you, O Lord!
You were angry with me, but not any more.
Now you comfort me.
2 See, God has come to save me.
I will trust in him and not be afraid.
The Lord God is my strength and my song;
he has given me victory.”
There is nothing that expresses emotion more effectively than music.
Singing is a way to exalt and praise God because it can speak words that express the depth of our heart.
It may be a song that is popular on the radio, an old time-tested and theologically rich hymn, a simple and profound thought with a captivating melody or something you have written yourself.
However, it is not the act of singing that is worship, it is the attitude of the heart.
This is a distinction I think it is important to make.
Every aspect of worship is not about a task that is performed, it is the attitude of the heart as we come before the Lord in various ways.
Often people say, we need more “worship time” or “we love the praise and worship time.”
What they are referring to is the time of singing.
Singing is wonderful, but it is only worship when our hearts are bending in worship before the Father.
Merely enjoying a song does not make it worship.
EVERY element of a worship time should be “praise and worship.”
Times of prayer, listening to the Word of God read, and hearing the preaching of the Word should all be done with a worshipful attitude.
Let’s look at the reason why this is so.
Our Condition
You were angry with me, but not any more.
Now you comfort me.
Paul underscored this same truth in Romans 5:10-11
10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.
11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.
(italics mine)
We don’t like to think of our relationship with God as adversarial.
In fact, we think we are pretty good.
We do believe there are some bad people in the world.
They abuse children, commit acts of terror, commit genocide (like Adolf Hitler).
We believe these are the kinds of people that will go to Hell.
We do not picture ourselves like that.
Listen to the way many people speak about those who die.
They talk about what a good person they were and how well liked they were.
They talk about a new angel in Heaven or perhaps how much richer Heaven now is because of this person.
To hear them speak the only thing you need to do to go to Heaven is to die!
Why wouldn’t God let good people into Heaven?
If you point out to these people that you must believe and trust Jesus to be saved, they will inevitably tell you that they/ or their friend “believed in God.”
They may not have been involved with a church or embraced the Bible as God’s Word, but they believed in God.
When you ask them what God they believed in they often say, “They believed in the God who loves everyone.”
That sounds nice but what they are really saying is they believe in the God who loves people more than holiness.
Their God is willing to negotiate His standards in order to bring people to Himself.
A God who negotiates His character is no longer a good God.
He is no longer righteous or perfect.
He is not really God at all.
He is someone who looks a great deal like us.
The Bible says repeatedly that we are sinful people.
We are enemies of God.
Think about it.
· We take vengeance into our own hands; He tells us to leave it to Him
· Our hearts are divided in allegiance; He wants us to follow Him over and above all others
· He wants us to love: we compete with each other
· He calls us to unity; we are endlessly dividing
· He wants us to be holy; we want to have fun, feel good, and indulge our appetites
· He tells us to be content; we always want something more
· He tells us to love each other; we use each other to get what we want.
· He instructs us to remember the Sabbath; we BRAG about being too busy to worship.
· He tells us to seek first His Kingdom; but we try all kinds of other things before seeking Him.
If someone opposes you in almost everything you say and do, would you think of them as a friend or an enemy?
In our natural (pre-Christian) state, we are people who are in a bad relationship with God.
We deserve His wrath, not His mercy.
The Remedy
2 See, God has come to save me.
I will trust in him and not be afraid.
The Lord God is my strength and my song;
he has given me victory.”
Israel did nothing to earn their salvation.
They were rebelling when God pursued them.
He is still pursuing them.
He is also pursuing us!
God came to save US!
Remember, Isaiah is saying this is what WE will sing.
It is not just the rebellious Israelites that will sing of God’s grace.
Everyone who is in Heaven will sing that God has come to save us.
He pursued us!
Stop for a beat or two and think about this: The Creator of all that has been, is, and will ever be, pursued you and me!
He pursued us because He loves us . . .
and this is despite our rebellion against Him!
In Romans 5 we read these words,
6 When we were utterly helpless, Christ came at just the right time and died for us sinners.
7 Now, most people would not be willing to die for an upright person, though someone might perhaps be willing to die for a person who is especially good.
8 But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.
9 And since we have been made right in God’s sight by the blood of Christ, he will certainly save us from God’s condemnation.
10 For since our friendship with God was restored by the death of his Son while we were still his enemies, we will certainly be saved through the life of his Son.
11 So now we can rejoice in our wonderful new relationship with God because our Lord Jesus Christ has made us friends of God.
As sinful people, we deserve God’s wrath.
God HAS TO punish sin because He is holy and cannot compromise with sin.
God’s solution was for the Son of God to take the form of man, live a righteous life, and then die in our place.
The value of the life of Jesus is so much greater than ours that He could offer his life for any and all who would embrace this gift.
In theological terms this is called “substitutionary atonement.”
Paul said there are some benefits to this atonement.
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