Series: Isaiah
Title: Who As I Shall
Text: Isaiah 43: 22-26-44: 1-7
Date: November 13, 2011
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
Isaiah 44: 7: And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people? and the things that are coming, and shall come, let them shew unto them.
“Who as I”—God says—“I who appointed the ancient people”—those people more ancient than all people—those written in the Lamb’s book of life since before the foundation of the world—God says, “who as I…”
· Shall call
· Shall declare it
· Shall set it in order for me
· The things that are coming and shall come
From Isaiah 43: 1 to Isaiah 44: 7, the LORD God says to his child of grace—over 30 times—that God has and God will.
Proposition: God alone shall make each of his children, personally, to know and believe and rest in him to save as only God can save. The true and living God brings each of his children, personally, to rest in God’s mighty hand more and more by revealing three things in our hearts over and over.
Divisions:
1. He shows his child, personally, our sin in light of God’s love
2. God declares to his child personally his grace toward his child
3. God brings his child to reason correctly
I. HE SHOWS HIS CHILD, PERSONALLY, OUR DULLNESS IN LIGHT OF GOD’S LOVE
Concerning our PRAYER to God
Isaiah 43: 1: But now thus saith the LORD that created thee, O Jacob, and he that formed thee, O Israel, Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine…22: But thou hast not called upon me.
The first chapter tells us many could be found in the temple appearing to pray, but God looks past the outward form and looks on the heart. He says, “thou hast not called upon me.”
· Not in the house of the Lord
· Not in secret prayer!
· Not in the heart!
Matthew 15: 8: This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.
But we will see how God puts prayer in the heart of his child.
Concerning our worship of God
Isaiah 43: 2: When thou passest through the waters I will be with thee…22…But thou hast been weary of me, o Israel.
· The eye never seems to grow weary while hearing or reading about bad news—but when it comes to hearing or reading the good news how the eyelids become heavy
· Every obstacle can be crossed to get to the entertainment—but a cloud in the sky and the Sunday morning highway just looks to treacherous
· The video game never seems to grow cold—while the word of God lays cold on the shelf
But God is able to create strength in the inner man.
Concerning our thankfulness for all God has given to us
Isaiah 43: 3: For I am the LORD thy God, the Holy One of Israel, thy Saviour: I gave Egypt for thy ransom, Ethiopia and Seba for thee. 4: Since thou wast precious in my sight, thou hast been honourable, I have loved thee: therefore will I give men for thee, and people for thy life…23: Thou hast not brought me the small cattle of thy burnt offerings; neither hast thou honoured me with thy sacrifices….24: Thou hast bought me no sweet cane with money, neither hast thou filled me with the fat of thy sacrifices;
Small cattle, sweet cane, the fat of sacrifices represents offering to God our best. Under the law God required a tithe to be paid; but even in Moses day, those who loved God, willingly bought sweet cane with their own money, and gave it for the making of incense to burn on the altar to the praise of God. David said, “neither will I offer burnt offerings unto the LORD my God of that which doth cost me nothing. (2Sa 24:24)
1 Chronicles 29: 16: O LORD our God, all this store that we have prepared to build thee an house for thine holy name cometh of thine hand, and is all thine own.
Illustration: Emma making me coffee--serve because you love not because you feel forced!
Isaiah 43: 23:…I have not caused thee to serve with an offering, nor wearied thee with incense… 24…But thou has made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities.
God has not wearied us with the demands of the old covenant law. God’s children are made free. What sin and iniquity is this?
· The sin of not calling on God!
· The sin of being weary of worshipping Christ who deserves all our devotion!
· The sin of thinking we have given enough to God who gave his only begotten Son!
God brings this question home to the heart of his child, “Is my religion only a fig-leaf to by which we try to cover up my sin and hide from God?” Who alone can speak this word effectually in the heart? God says, I shall call, and shall declare it, and shall set it in order for me! How so!
Isaiah 43: 24…But thou has made me to serve with thy sins, thou hast wearied me with thine iniquities. 25: I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
II. THE DECLARATION OF HIS GRACE TO HIS CHILD
When was God Omnipotent heavy laden with the sins of his chosen people? When was he wearied with our iniquities? When the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, when the God-Man came and served under the law for us, when “the LORD…laid on him the iniquity of us all.” (Isa 53: 6), when “For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” (2Co 5:21.)
I, even I am he, that Blotteth Out Thy Transgressions
Brethren, our sins are not in the process of being pardoned, but are actually pardoned at this moment. As a thick cloud—(Is 44: 22)
And Will Not Remember Thy Sins
We forget because our memory fails, but God forgets in the sense that He remembers the merit of His Son rather than our sins.
FOR MINE OWN SAKE
· For the sake of his own holy name
· The sake of his own holy righteousness
· The sake of his own darling Son
God expresses this forgiveness in the heart of his people with the utmost pleasure. He glories in it. It is honor to his name! And it is how God makes his child to truly delight in him!
Psalm 130: 4: But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.
III. THEN GOD BRINGS HIS CHILD TO REASON CORRECTLY
Isaiah 43: 26: Put me in remembrance: let us plead together, declare thou, that thou mayest be justified.
Note the tenderness of God to his child—“Put ME in remembrance: let us plead (reason) together”. What tenderness from the Almighty God to his child! This is not God begging—this is how God himself gives repentance in the heart of his child of grace.
Sometimes the child of God pushes hard against the chastening hand of the Father attempting to justify ourselves by blaming our offenses on someone else? That is putting others in remembrance—God says-put me in remembrance. Perhaps we shift the blame to our first father? “Oh, I sinned in Adam, I can’t be blamed for my sin!” “My dad taught me to be what I am.” Or we blame false teachers? God says, indeed
Isaiah 43: 27: Thy first father hath sinned, and thy teachers have transgressed against me.
But God says, I have dealt with them.
Isaiah 43: 28: Therefore I have profaned the princes of the sanctuary, and have given Jacob to the curse, and Israel to reproaches.
But the LORD is not delivering this message, through one of those profane teachers—but through Isaiah whom God sent. God is speaking the truth of God’s grace. And God is speaking in truth! God says to his child personally, “Come, let us reason together—I, even I--am speaking to you, my child!”
Illustration: The spies in the land of Canaan—“we cannot go in.” God sent Moses: “You cannot!” They said to Moses, “You can’t stop us from going in!” And God proved that they had no one else to blame for not obeying God in the first place.
God Removes Our Vain Reasoning
· Is it really another who has prevented ME from calling upon God?
· Is it another who has made ME weary of worship due to God?
· Is it another who has prevented ME from giving to God what God has given ME?
· Is it another who has made ME sin against God?
When God calls his child to reason together with him—God makes ME confess MY sins.
· He shows ME MY sins in light of God’s love and forgiveness.
· God takes away all MY vain self-justification.
· God graciously brings us to reason correctly.
He says Declare thou, that thou mayest be justified
· When God penetrates the heart he has made, the little child—converted by grace—stops justifying his rebellion, and says, Truth Lord!
Psalm 51: Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest….7 : Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8: Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 9: Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
And God answers that very petition, which he put in our heart, saying,
Isaiah 43: 25: I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.
And God says to bones he has broken:
Isaiah 44: 1: Yet now hear, O Jacob my servant; and Israel, whom I have chosen: 2 Thus saith the LORD that made thee, and formed thee from the womb, which will help thee;
Are you one God has chosen? Do you need help? Are you thirsty? Are you dry ground in need of the flood of his Spirit?
Isaiah 44: 2:..Fear not, O Jacob, my servant; and thou, Jesurun, whom I have chosen. 3: For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring: 4: And they shall spring up as among the grass, as willows by the water courses.
This matter becomes intimately personal between his child and God. God says,
Isaiah 1: 18: Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. 19: If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: 20: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.
Do you see how that God knows how to produce true worship in his people?
Were all these transgressions mentioned without God graciously, tenderly, mercifully reminding us that he has blotted out our sin and will not remember our sin any more--without God taking away all our vain excuses—without God putting all others out of our mind and making us to bring him into remembrance—the man with a form of religion might mend his ways, patch up his fig leaves and go through the motions—but God calls and sets all in order in the heart he has made and God produces heart worship.
Isaiah 44: 7: And who, as I, shall call, and shall declare it, and set it in order for me, since I appointed the ancient people?
God says Isaiah 43: 26: Put me in remembrance:
When our Lord Jesus established the Lord’s Table he said, “This do in remembrance of me.” His command reveals the love of Christ for us. Our Savior would not care for us to remember Him, if He did not love us.
But in his great love for his children, He graciously established this ordinance that we might remember Him as we observe it.
· Remember God’s unchanging love toward us
· Remember God’s everlasting covenant of grace--made with his Son on our behalf before the worlds were made.
· Ordered in all things and sure (2 Samuel 23:5).
· Ratified by the blood of Christ (Hebrews 13:20).
· So that all the promises of God are yea and amen in Christ to us
Amen!