The Earth Turned Upside Down

Our Bible passage, introduction to Sunday 23rd July service and hymns are below.

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Our principal verses are:

Isa 24:1  Behold, the LORD maketh the earth empty, and maketh it waste, and turneth it upside down, and scattereth abroad the inhabitants thereof.

Isa 24:2  And it shall be, as with the people, so with the priest; as with the servant, so with his master; as with the maid, so with her mistress; as with the buyer, so with the seller; as with the lender, so with the borrower; as with the taker of usury, so with the giver of usury to him.

Isa 24:3  The land shall be utterly emptied, and utterly spoiled: for the LORD hath spoken this word.

Isa 24:13  When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done.

Isa 24:14  They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea.

Isa 24:15  Wherefore glorify ye the LORD in the fires, even the name of the LORD God of Israel in the isles of the sea.

 The Earth Turned Upside Down

After foretelling a series of calamities on named nations and cities such as Assyria, Babylon, and Tyre, Isaiah now a prophesies of dire troubles that should come on the whole world and its inhabitants because of sin. It is said by the prophet that these disasters will be the work of the Sovereign Lord and an emptying of the world. By disease, wars and natural causes God will turn the earth upside down. Isaiah prefixes a ‘Behold’ because the events will be both remarkable and marvellous.

The way of the world

These events do not all occur together but in the history of nations there will be catastrophes and tragedies that will bring ruin and destruction so as to shake the very foundations of social order. Just as Assyria fell to Babylon and Babylon to the Medes and Persians; just as Tyre fell to the Chaldeans so the ambitions of military strength will falter. Trade, commerce and invention will not be stable for long. ‘In the city is left desolation, and the gate is smitten with destruction’, says the prophet.

The wages of sin

Isaiah wants us to be clear that this constant flux and insecurity is the result of sin. He writes, ‘therefore hath the curse devoured the earth’. This is the great curse of Genesis 3 that accompanied the Fall and attended mankind’s rebellion against God. God cursed the serpent and the earth for man’s sake so that the earth groans, fallen men and women do what is right in their own eyes and sinners ever bring down upon themselves the indignation of the holy Lord God.

A remnant shall remain – always

This has been Isaiah’s message all along in his ‘burdens’. Now the prophet again returns to his message of hope by referring to the preservation of God’s elect people and His love and mercy. Even in the worst of times, there will be a remnant according to the election of grace. It is as though the prophets says, ‘despite the universal nature of sin and the certain coming of judgment, the Lord will protect His people, safeguard His Beloved and deliver His elect’.

The gleaning grapes

The ‘shaking’ of an olive tree and the ‘gleaning grapes’ when the vintage is done are references to God’s remnant whom He has chosen, redeemed, delivered and preserves. ‘They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the LORD, they shall cry aloud from the sea’ (v.14). Despite the wickedness of sin and the promise of judgment the Lord will not forget His people or fail to preserve them through the midst of the fires that will afflict the earth and all who dwell in it.

O my leanness!

This is not to say the experience of the Lord’s redeemed people will be easy. On the contrary, the Lord’s people live through the most dire judgments and see, taste and feel all the damage caused by sin. For the elect this is not divine punishment but it can be a bitter trial. Furthermore, the hopeless and careless state of the wicked saddens our hearts to cry, ‘My leanness, my leanness, woe unto me! the treacherous dealers have dealt treacherously’. Judgment distresses the souls of God’s elect when the terror of the law is at work.

Our brighter Star

As we have come to expect, Isaiah does not leave the church bereft of gospel comfort. We shall see the Lord when He visits His people in His power and glory to save their souls. The Lord came to set the captive free and ‘after many days shall they be visited’. When Christ visits He reigns in glory in His church, in the hearts of His people and in the affections of His Bride. His glory puts to shame even the brightness of the moon and the splendour of the sun.

We are going home

What blessed encouragement the Lord’s people are given in this fallen world full of sin and death. Every generation bears its own burden, as we shall, but the Lord preserves His remnant people so that the testimony of grace and the work of the gospel will continue to benefit the generation following. We shall endure the trials of our own age and we shall persevere to the end knowing the Lord will soon visit us to take us to our mansion or gather His church in its final glory.

Amen

Our hymns are below.

Hymn 1

Gadsby selection 900

“He (Jesus) shall let go my captives” Isa. 45. 13

J. Berridge                    112th

1
Say, wast thou not a captive born,
And art thou not a captive led,
With fetters loaded every morn,
And chainèd down each night in bed?
Do not thy lusts beset thee still,
And take thee captive at their will?

2
Do not rough tempers, proud and base,
Insult and rend thy helpless soul?
And what can tame the lusts but grace?
Or what the tempers will control?
The work for Jesus is prepared,
Who does the work without reward.

3
His blood must purge the conscience clean,
And show a sin-forgiving God;
His Spirit write the law within,
And guide us on the gospel road;
And all that seek to him shall know,
That Jesus lets the captives go.

Hymn 2

Gadsby selection 904

“Our sufficiency is of God.” 2 Cor. 3. 5; Phil. 4. 13

J. Berridge                            8.8.6.

1
O Lord, with shame I do confess
My universal emptiness,
My poverty and pride;
I cannot keep thee in my sight,
Nor can I think one thought aright,
Unless thy Spirit guide.

2
I cannot from my idols part,
Nor love the Lord with all my heart,
Nor can myself deny;
I cannot pray, and feel thee near,
Nor can I sing with heavenly cheer,
Unless the Lord be nigh.

3
Since Adam from God’s image fell,
On spiritual things we cannot dwell;
The heart is turned aside;
And none can raise to life the dead
But he who raised himself indeed,
And for dead sinners died.

4
Then let this mighty Jesus be,
An all-sufficient help for me,
Creating power and will;
Thy grace sufficèd saints of old;
It made them strong and made them bold,
And it suffices still.

Our sovereign and holy God is the judge who comes in righteousness to turn this world upside down. Yet, the Lord’s people are safeguarded and protected by the Saviour Himself who visits His own children with mercy, comfort and strength in their trials in this world.

23 July 2023