Series:
Isaiah
Title: Two Different Portions
Text: Isaiah 57: 6
Date:
January 29, 2015
Place:
SGBC, New Jersey
Our
subject is “Two Different Portions.” What
is your portion—your inheritance? There
are two different portions. There is the portion—the inheritance, the lot—of
the idolater. Then there is the believer’s inheritance. Which portion is your
portion? Which is mine? God sent Isaiah with the word of the LORD toward all
idolaters, saying, “Among the smooth stones of the stream is thy
portion; they, they are thy lot: even to them hast thou poured a drink
offering, thou hast offered a meat offering. Should I receive comfort in these?”
(Is 57: 6)
THE IDOLATER’S
INHERITANCE
God said of the idolater, “Among the smooth stones
of the stream is thy portion; they, they are thy lot.” (Is 57: 6)
After God gave them his oracles, while left in their spiritual deadness, the
majority in Israel forsook the Rock of salvation and worshipped the “smooth stones of the stream.”
This may not be the best translation but it means they
turned to strange gods: the gods of their imagination and the works of their
own hands. They chose their own place in
the valleys instead of worshipping God in the temple which God gave which
typified Christ and his church, his people, his body.
As we read on in this chapter, we see they had many other
forms of worship. But it was all their choice and making. So it was all
abominable and wicked before God. They
rejected the one way God gave to come to him, which is, through faith in the Lord
Jesus Christ, typified in the temple, the priesthood, the furniture and the
offerings. Read God’s sad word describing Israel and all who reject Christ,
Deuteronomy 32: 15: But Jeshurun waxed fat, and kicked:
thou art waxen fat, thou art grown thick, thou art covered with fatness;
then he forsook God which made him, and lightly esteemed the Rock of his
salvation. 16: They provoked him to jealousy with strange gods, with
abominations provoked they him to anger. 17: They sacrificed unto devils, not
to God; to gods whom they knew not, to new gods that came newly up, whom
your fathers feared not. 18: Of the Rock that begat thee thou art
unmindful, and hast forgotten God that formed thee. 19: And when the LORD saw it,
he abhorred them, because of the provoking of his sons, and of his
daughters.
Romans
1: 21: Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God,
neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish
heart was darkened. 22: Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
23: And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to
corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
Therefore, God declares the object they worshipped shall
be their inheritance, “Among the smooth stones of the stream is
thy portion; they, they are thy lot.”
THE OBJECT OF THE
IDOLATER’S WORSHIP
This is the idolater’s inheritance because it is the
object of his worship. They worshipped and gloried in their way and works, “Even
to them hast thou poured a drink offering, thou hast offered a meat offering.”
(Is 57: 6)
The drink and meat offering were food offerings. Food is
life. Under the old covenant, the drink and meat offerings involved a ceremony God
ordained by which the worshipper thanked God for giving him life. It pictured
Christ our Bread from heaven, our Life.
By Christ’s broken body and shed blood all who believe on
Christ have remission of sins. Christ said,
John 6:
47: Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting
life. 48: I am that bread of life. 49: Your fathers did eat manna in the
wilderness, and are dead. 50: This is the bread which cometh down from heaven,
that a man may eat thereof, and not die. 51: I am the living bread which came down
from heaven: if any man eat of this bread, he shall live for ever: and the
bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the
world. 52: The Jews therefore strove among themselves, saying, How can this man
give us his flesh to eat? 53: Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily,
I say unto you, Except ye eat the flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood,
ye have no life in you. 54: Whoso eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, hath
eternal life; and I will raise him up at the last day. 55: For my flesh is meat
indeed, and my blood is drink indeed. 56: He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh
my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him. 57: As the living Father hath sent me,
and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me. 58:
This is that bread which came down from heaven: not as your fathers did eat
manna, and are dead: he that eateth of this bread shall live for ever. 59:
These things said he in the synagogue, as he taught in Capernaum.
But the idolater is one who merely imitates
the form while he glories in ad worships his form of religion. Under the old
covenant, God used images, symbols, ceremonies to show types and figures of
Christ. Now, we no longer use those images because Christ has come and
fulfilled the types and shadows.
Hebrews
1: 12: God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto
the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in
these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir
of all things, by whom also he made the worlds;
But even then the true believer worshipped
God only by faith in Christ. The apostle said, “These all died in faith, not
having received the promises, but having seen them afar off, and were persuaded
of them, and embraced them, and confessed that they were
strangers and pilgrims on the earth.” (Heb 11: 13)
For instance, Jacob built an altar of stones.
He knew God must be approached through an altar. The altar typified Christ for
“We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the
tabernacle.” (Heb 13: 9) As did all God’s true, spiritual Israel, born of his
Spirit, Jacob knew—to some degree—that the stones of the altar typified Christ.
Yet, those who did not have the Spirit of God
teaching them in the heart, only saw a man build an altar of stones. They only
saw the ceremonies and offerings with a carnal eye. So they imitated it,
calling it worship. Unregenerate sinners
do the same today. Some use images, some not. But most still use some form of
the old covenant worship. Regardless, if images are used, God looks on the
heart. All men while dead in sins have a false god formed in our imagination. Therefore,
God said that they poured out their drink offering to their place, to their
works, to another god.
The
same holds true in our day. Say for instance, two people go through the form of
worship: they each come to a building, each sing, each bow their heads to pray,
each hear a sermon preached and each read along in their bibles. While one has
the Spirit of Christ and truly worships God, the other worships his coming to
the church building, his singing, praying, hearing and reading. He imagines he
has gained God’s favor by his form of religion. But before God who looks on the
heart, it is the same as worshipping a stock or a stone, idolatry.
There are many who justly condemn the use of images and
idols. Yet, they unjustly worship the works of their own hands claiming they
give themselves life, claiming they bring themselves to Christ, claiming they
make themselves righteous by their obedience to the law, claiming they sanctify
themselves by their obedience to the law or some other form of self-worship. When
such a person thanks God or offers offerings, God says it is the same as if he
worshipped a stone. He may use God’s name in his prayer but he glories in
himself, in his place, in his ceremony, in his works and in his will. He may
not worship an idol but glorying in himself, coveting the glory that belongs to
God, makes him an idolater. An example is the Pharisee and the publican in the
Lord’s parable.
Luke
18: 9: And he spake this parable unto certain which trusted in themselves that
they were righteous, and despised others: 10: Two men went up into the temple
to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican. 11: The Pharisee stood
and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are,
extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican. 12: I fast twice in
the week, I give tithes of all that I possess. 13: And the publican, standing
afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote
upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14: I tell you, this
man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every
one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall
be exalted.
God says, “Should I receive comfort in these?” (Is 57: 6)
Should God receive these vain will workers, their works, and their vain gods?
No. Should God’s justice be satisfied by their offerings? No. Should God turn
from pouring out wrath upon them? No!
So we see God says that the idolater’s inheritance is his
own works and the wrath of God due toward sin because self is the object of his
worship.
THE OBJECT OF THE
BELIEVER’S WORSHIP
The object of the believer’s worship is the “Rock of
salvation”, not the “smooth stones of
the stream”,
Isaiah
28: 16: Therefore thus saith the Lord GOD, Behold, I lay in Zion for a
foundation a stone, a tried stone, a precious corner stone, a sure
foundation: he that believeth shall not make haste.
The LORD God says, “Behold, I lay in Zion.” God the
Father laid our foundation. He chose Christ in eternity and chose his people in
Christ. God sent Christ to redeem his people; he is glorified in Christ; he
saved his people in Christ and he has now glorified Christ. God laid Christ our
foundation in the midst of his church, in our hearts and at his own right hand.
The Lord Jesus is our “tried stone”: tried by
God, tried under the law, tried by Satan, tried by men and tried on the cruel
cross. Christ was found faithful, righteous and holy through and through. He
redeemed his people from the curse of the law, glorifying God as he did so.
Therefore, the Lord Jesus is our “precious
corner stone; [and] sure foundation.” God’s house—his church, his people—is
settled and held together by Christ our precious corner stone, our sure
foundation. He is the Wisdom and Power of God and God makes Christ Wisdom and
Power unto his people. Christ is the righteousness of God and God makes Christ
Righteousness unto his people. He is the holiness of God and God makes Christ Sanctification
unto his people. Christ is the redemption of God and God makes Christ Redemption
unto his people. “That, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him
glory in the Lord.” (1 Cor 1: 30-31)
This is why “he that believeth [on Christ] shall not make
haste.” Believers patiently wait on Christ. He has finished the work of
redemption, gathered us who believe and he shall gather all God’s elect. We
shall not make haste to lay any other foundation, to run after strange gods, to
separate ourselves from God’s established place where Christ is preached.
Believers shall not make haste to be offended or to offend so that we can
continue to worship Christ where God has planted us in his house with his
people under his gospel. It is because God has made us to be satisfied with
Christ, “For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus
Christ.” (1 Cor 3: 11)
God has given us life in the Bread from heaven. We eat
Christ flesh and drink his blood by believing on Christ. His broken body and
shed blood put away our sins. Our meat offering and our drink offering is
Christ alone, to Christ alone! God receives comfort, satisfaction toward us through
Christ.
Therefore, because God before ordained that Christ would
be the object of our worship, through faith in Christ we receive an inheritance
in Christ, “In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated
according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his
own will.” (Eph 1: 11)
THE BELIEVER’S
INHERITANCE
God promises the object of our worship is also our
inheritance, “The LORD is the portion of mine inheritance and of my cup:
thou maintainest my lot.” (Ps 16:5)
Notice, this is the word of Christ as God’s High Priest,
serving God for his people. Aaron, the High Priest, had no inheritance except
the LORD God, “And the LORD spake unto Aaron, Thou shalt have no inheritance in
their land, neither shalt thou have any part among them: I am thy part
and thine inheritance among the children of Israel.” (Nu 18: 20) The Levites
who served under the high priest had no inheritance in the land because God was
their inheritance, “The priests the Levites, and all the tribe of Levi,
shall have no part nor inheritance with Israel: they shall eat the offerings of
the LORD made by fire, and his inheritance. Therefore shall they have no
inheritance among their brethren: the LORD is their inheritance, as he
hath said unto them.” (Deut 18: 1-2) So it is with Christ our High Priest and us
who are made priests by Christ.
How sad! The
idolater has no inheritance in heaven in God in Christ; his only inheritance is
in the earth. But what a blessing! Believers have no inheritance in the earth;
only in heaven in God in Christ Jesus.
In fact, we are so one with God in Christ that the
believer is also the inheritance of God our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, “For
the LORD’S portion is his people; Jacob is the lot of his inheritance.” (Deut
32: 9)
CONTRASTS IN THESE
TWO PORTIONS
Those who worship the works of their own hands shall also
inherit slippery paths in this life. “Smooth
stones of the stream” remind us of those
stones under the water that appear to be sure footing. But when you try to walk
on them they are slippery stones which make you fall. God said, “Both prophet
and priest are profane; yea, in my house have I found their wickedness, saith
the LORD. Wherefore their way shall be unto them as slippery ways in the
darkness: they shall be driven on, and fall therein: for I will bring evil upon
them, even the year of their visitation, saith the LORD.” (Jer 23:
11-12)
We see God’s judgment upon those who reject Christ all
around us in the very thing the apostle Paul described when he said, “Wherefore
God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to
dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God
into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who
is blessed for ever. Amen. For this cause God gave them up unto vile
affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is
against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the
woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which
is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which
was meet.” (Rom 1: 24-27)
Yet, the believer’s inheritance is sure footing in Christ
because “He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay,
and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings.” (Ps 40: 2) The
reason God’s saints walk so as to always strive to obey and honor Christ is
because “the steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in
his way.” (Ps 37: 23)
This means “in the time of trouble he shall hide me in
his pavilion: in the secret of his tabernacle shall he hide me; he shall set me
up upon a rock.” (Ps 27: 5) Christ Jesus
our Rock said, “Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth
them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: And
the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that
house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.” (Mt 7: 24-25) Believers
live our lives continually depending upon Christ, praying, “Order my steps in
thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me.” (Ps 119: 133); “Hold
up my goings in thy paths, that my footsteps slip not.” (Ps 17: 5)
Another way these portions are different, is that those
who worship their way and their works must depend upon their wisdom and works to
maintain their lot. God says, “they, they are thy lot.” They have traded a sure
thing in Christ to throw in their lot with powerless idol gods. Therefore, the
works of their own hands must maintain them.
Yet, the believer’s lot is maintained by God, “thou
maintainest my lot.” (Ps 16: 5) God maintains our lot by setting the bounds of
men in this earth, providing for his people. “No weapon that is formed against
thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment
thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their
righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.” (Is 54: 17)
God maintains our lot in life because he maintains our
eternal inheritance in heaven. We see it illustrated in that “when the most
High divided to the nations their inheritance, when he separated the sons of
Adam, he set the bounds of the people according to the number of the children
of Israel.” (Deut 32: 8) Generations before Israel even heard about the land
God promised, God divided the nations at the tower of Babel, giving the sons of
Adam that land to inhabit. They did not take whatever land they wanted. God set
their bounds, “according to the number of the children of Israel.” So when the
time came for Israel to inhabit the land of promise, everything was provided
and there was just the right amount of land to divide to each tribe of Israel.
Here is the spiritual lesson. Our heavenly inheritance
was settled and maintained by God our Father in Christ from eternity, long
before we ever heard about it, in Christ the Lamb slain from the foundation of
the world. Therefore, believers are always, “giving thanks unto the Father,
which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in
light.” (Col 1: 12) Also, by Christ’s finished work, our inheritance is prepared,
provided, secured, and reserved for his elect, exactly according to our number.
As the apostle Peter said, “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord
Jesus Christ, which according to his abundant mercy hath begotten us again unto
a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, To an
inheritance incorruptible, and undefiled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in
heaven for you, Who are kept by the power of God through faith unto salvation
ready to be revealed in the last time.” (1Pe 1:3-5) Oh, how comforting to know
God our Father and his Son Christ Jesus maintains our lot and not we ourselves.
One
last difference in these two portions is that the idolater shall inherit the
fierce wrath of God’s judgment. In our text, the valley described sounds much
like the valley of Jehoshaphat which speaks of God’s judgment upon the heathen
who reject Christ. God said, “Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the
valley of Jehoshaphat: for there will I sit to judge all the heathen round
about.” (Joel 3: 12) In the day of
judgment if you trust in you and your works then you must maintain your lot, be
your advocate, and stand by your own righteousness. But the all-knowing holy
God says, “When thou criest, let thy companies deliver thee; but the wind shall
carry them all away; vanity shall take them.” (Is 57: 13)
Yet,
hear God’s word to all who believe on Christ, “but he that putteth his trust in
me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain.” (Is 57: 13) Those
who rest in Christ and his righteousness have already been judged on Calvary’s
cross when Christ bore the wrath of God in our room and stead. Therefore, we
shall inherit—not the judgment of condemnation—but the judgment of approval for
Christ’s sake.
Our
victorious Redeemer is the King which he spoke of in his parable concerning
that great day of judgment. He said, “before him shall be gathered all nations:
and he shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his
sheep from the goats: And he shall set the sheep on his right hand, but the
goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on his right hand, Come,
ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the
foundation of the world.” (Mt 25:32-34)
How
vastly different are these two portions!
Our inheritance shall be the object of our worship: either self unto
eternal condemnation or Christ unto eternal life. My God make the object of our worship his
glorious name in Christ Jesus his Son.
Believers are heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ. We say most
assuredly, “The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in
him.” (Lam 3: 24)
Amen!