Skip to content Heeding God's Voice: Lessons from Isaiah 50-51 Jan 6 · 15 min ...more
Heeding God's Voice: Lessons from Isaiah 50-51
January 6, 2025 · 15 min
Explore Isaiah 50 & 51's vivid contrast between obedience and disobedience, and the comfort God promises to those who follow Him.
Series Stand on the Word - Video On Demand January 6, 2025 · 15 min · Stand on the Word - Video On Demand
Explore Isaiah 50 & 51's vivid contrast between obedience and disobedience, and the comfort God promises to those who follow Him. ...more Show the full description Show less Explore Isaiah 50 & 51's vivid contrast between obedience and disobedience, and the comfort God promises to those who follow Him.
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The Comfort of God and the Obedient Servant 0:09 Good morning. Welcome to Stand on the Word. Thanks for joining me this morning. Today, we are looking at Isaiah chapters 50 and 51, verse 12 of chapter 51. I, even I, am he who comforts0:21 you. Who are you that you should be afraid of a man who will die and the son of a man who will be made like grass. I love that verse. Alright. In chapter 50, what we have is a contrast between the obedient0:33 servant, that is the Messiah, and the disobedient servant, that is the nation of Israel. Then in chapter 51, we have a fantastic passage that actually goes over into chapter 520:45 that encourages the faithful followers of the lord who are struggling. And and and he does so by encouraging them to remember their past, to rest in the power of god, and0:57 resist the fear of people. So let's start with chapter 50 verse 1. Thus says the lord, where is the certificate of your mother's divorce whom I have put away? Of which of my creditors1:09 is it to whom I have sold you? For your iniquities have sold for your iniquities, you have sold yourselves, and for your transgressions, your mother has been put1:20 away. Why, when I came, was there no man? Why, when I called, was there none to answer? In my hand is my hand shortened at all that it cannot redeem?1:32 Or have I no power to deliver? Indeed, with my rebuke, I dry up the sea. I make the rivers a wilderness. Their fish stink because there is no water and1:44 die of thirst. Now speaking, speaking the lord's speaking to Judah here, the unfaithful servant. And god says, you brought this judgment1:56 upon yourselves. Because of your sin, this is why you were sold into bondage. Now then in verse 4 through 6, we get this contrast. We read of the faithful servant,2:08 the messiah. Verse 4, the lord god has given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak a word in season to him who is weary. He awakens me morning by2:19 morning. He awakens my ear to hear as the learned. The lord has opened my ear, and I was not rebellious nor did I turn away. He goes on to to2:31 verse 6, I gave my back to those who struck me and my cheeks, to those who plucked out my beard. I did not hide my face from shame and spitting. We know who that is. That's speaking of the messiah, the lord Jesus Christ.2:43 But I'm gonna go back to verses 4 and 5. What's he talking about here? What what is what is it that we we we learn from? He says, I speak a word in season. He awakens me morning by2:55 morning. He awakens my ear to hear. Hear what? To hear the word of the lord. See, the the word abiding in it, knowing it, and yielding to it was central to what the3:07 Messiah did, and it's our call as well. The result was the father was with the Messiah, just as he had promised that he would be with the nation of Israel had they yielded to him. Look3:19 at verse 7. For the lord God will help me. Therefore, I will not be disgraced. Therefore, I have set my face like flint, and I know that I will not be ashamed.3:31 Verse 8. He is near who justifies me. Who will contend with me? Let us stand together. Who is my adversary? Let him come near me. Surely, the lord god will3:43 help me. Who is he who will condemn me? Indeed, they will all grow old like a garment. The moth will eat them up. Now this is powerful. And by the way, you look here coming up next to something to3:55 try at home. Look at verse 10. Who among you fears the lord? Who obeys the voice of his servant? Who walks in darkness and has no light? Let him trust in the name of the lord and rely upon his god. You4:06 want god's blessing in his hand to be upon you, to strengthen you, to guide you so that you can stand in the face of your adversary? Obey the voice of the lord and and fear him.4:19 Alright. Verse 11. Look all who and this is the contrast here. Verse 11 is the contrast to those who look to the Lord and obey him. Look, all you who kindle a fire, who4:31 encircle yourselves with sparks. Walk in the light of your fire and in the sparks that you have kindled. This you shall have from my hand, you shall lie down in torment.4:43 So, I mean, either we can walk in the light of god's word or we can walk in our own light, and we basically, we kindle a fire that consumes us. ChapterListening to God and Overcoming Fear 4:55 51. Alright. This is, I love this chapter. It's a great chapter. Now I I can't verify this story that I'm gonna share with you, but it was reported. Alright? This is 1 of those things reported in history5:06 that, Franklin Delano Roosevelt, president of the United States, kinda got tired of, his big smile and saying the usual things at a White House reception that he host.5:18 Presidents often host these things. People come through, and they have to greet them. And there's a lot of picture taking, smiling, handshaking. So 1 evening, he reportedly decided to find out whether anyone was paying5:30 attention to what he was saying when they would come through the reception line. As each person came up and extended a hand, he flashed a big smile and said, I murdered my grandmother this morning. And people would5:41 automatically respond with comments such as, oh, how lovely. That's nice. Oh, so good to see you. Nobody listened to what he was saying except for 1 foreign diplomat. When the5:53 president said, I murdered my grandmother this morning, the diplomat responded softly, I'm sure she had it coming to her. You know, the the problem today is that is not that god6:05 is not speaking, but rather we're not listening for him. And if we if we want to have peace and confidence and and the power to face the challenges of our6:17 day, of this world in which we live. We need to listen to the lord. And guess what? He is speaking loudly from his word. And that's why we're on this6:28 journey stand on the word. Let's look at verse 1, chapter 51. Listen to me. Now we see this phrase about 3 times in this chapter. Listen to me, you who follow after righteousness,6:41 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 blessed6:52 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 in7:04 him. Thanksgiving and the voice of melody. Now he says here, remember your past. You you7:16 we we all have a past. Alright? Israel had a story, a testimony. God had created that nation out of 2 people who were ready for the the geriatric ward. I mean, but he created a nation. They had a history.7:28 You know, what's your story? You know, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ, if he has saved you, then you have a story. You have a testimony. And Revelation says that by the blood of7:40 the lamb and the word of their testimony, they overcame. So so some, you know, some of us, some have more dramatic stories than others, but we all have a past that god has delivered us from.7:52 We've all seen the faithfulness of god in our lives and and and we need to we need to remember that. We need to remember what god has done. So he says, listen. Remember your past. Look what I've done8:04 for you. And then then we're to listen. Look at the next listen in verse 4. Listen to me, my people, and give ear to me, oh my nation. For law will proceed for me, and I will make my justice8:16 rest as a light of the peoples. He says, look. Listen. Rest in my power. Look at verse 5. My righteousness is near. My has gone forth, and my arms will judge the peoples. The8:28 coastlands will wait upon me. Now coastlands, we've we've talked about this before. You see that. It's a reference to the Gentile nations. And on my arm, they will trust. Lift up your eyes to the heavens, and look on8:40 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 my8:51 righteousness will not be abolished. See, the arm the arm of the lord speaks of his salvation. It's his strength, his salvation. It is the salvation that he provides that we trust in. Heaven and9:03 earth will pass away, but his salvation and his righteousness is forever. Matthew chapter 24 verse 35 says heaven and earth will pass away, but my words by will by no9:15 means will pass away. And then the third lesson we see is in verse 7. Listen to me, you who know righteousness. You people in whose heart is my law.9:27 So he says, listen. Do not fear the reproach of men nor be afraid of their insults. So he says, resist the fear of people. You know, how do we do this? You9:39 know, we just have to realize that to walk with god often means we have to walk alone. And it means that we have to face the cancel culture. It means that we may have people that, you know, post things9:51 on our, Facebook page or, you know, all that kind of crazy stuff. I mean, if you follow me on Facebook, you'll see that from time to time in the comments, people saying crazy stuff. You10:02 know what? I don't care. At least they're reading it. At least they're listening. Maybe they'll hear the truth, and they'll be set free by it. So how do we do this? How do we how do we live in this cancel culture?10:14 How do we walk with god in a culture that has turned away from god? Well, first, we have to fear God. Alright? And that when I say fear,10:26 that means reverence. That means we we reverence God. We we put him first in our life. Because if we fear god, we won't fear man. Why? Well, look at, going to verse 8. You know,10:38 god is everlasting. He's from everlasting to everlasting. Man is here today, and he's gone tomorrow. Look at verse 8. For the moth will eat them up like a garment, and the worm10:50 will eat them like wool. But my righteousness will be forever, and my salvation from generation to generation. You see, god's not going anywhere. These men, these these the opposition that you face, I can't11:02 tell you the number of people in my professional career, my now I don't know. I've been at this a while. Political opposition, those who opposed me, those who took stands against11:14 me. You know, I I can't tell you the number of them that are gone. That, quite frankly, they imploded or something happened. But the righteousness of god, the word that I stood11:26 on is still here. It's still standing. Verse 12, I, even I, am he who comforts you. Who are you that you should be afraid of a man who will die?11:38 Who are you that has that has been bought by the blood of the lord Jesus Christ, who has your eternity secure in heaven, you've been given not just life, but abundant11:50 life, why should you fear a man who will die or the the the son of man who will be made like grass that's here today and gone tomorrow? And you forget the lord12:01 your maker who stretched out the heavens, and I laid the foundations of the earth. You have feared continually every day because of the fury of the oppressor when he was prepared to destroy. And where is the fury of that12:13 oppressor? You see, they were coming. They were conditioned. They had been in captivity, and they were conditioned by the oppression, and they were fearful of man because people controlled them. And12:25 God's bringing them out, giving them a new identity, reestablishing their identity. And he says, look, don't be afraid. Don't be afraid. Trust in12:37 me. And and and that's where we need to be today. If you have been saved, if you have trusted in the lord Jesus Christ and he is your lord, then you don't need to fear man. You absolutely12:49 do not need to fear. You know, if if we wanna have peace and confidence and the power and the power to face the challenges of this world around us, we need to be13:01 listening. We need to be listening to the voice of the lord. And how do we do that? We do that through his word. So I commend you for being on this journey. This is the source of our strength, the source of power. It13:13 is the word of god. 1 final illustration. A school music teacher, she asked her class the difference between listening and hearing. And at first,13:25 there was no response. And then finally, a a little hand went up, and a youngster offered this, what I think is a very wise definition. Listening is wanting to hear. So as we13:36 approach the word of god, we need to want to hear from him and what he has to say. And then out of reverence for god, we yield to that word,13:49 and we order our lives accordingly. Father, we thank you for your word. We are so grateful that you are speaking. And I pray, lord, that we would be listening. I pray we14:01 would want to hear what you are saying. And as a result, we would come in alignment with your word. May the holy spirit give us the power to change our lives that we might line up with your word and walk according14:13 to it. Lord, that we might have the power and the courage to live in this world. As you placed us in this hour, we're not here by chance. We're here by your divine14:25 direction. And so father, may we live for you victoriously day by day. We thank you, and we praise you. In Jesus' name, amen. Alright. Thanks for14:37 being with me this morning. Until next time, keep standing on the word.14:43 Today's study comes from the Stand on the Word Bible Reading Plan available for free at frc dot org slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day, you14:55 can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:09 The Comfort of God and the Obedient Servant4:54 Listening to God and Overcoming Fear
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