A Just God And A Saviour

Our Bible passage, introduction to Sunday 17th December service and hymns are below.

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Our principal verses are:

Isa 45:17  But Israel shall be saved in the LORD with an everlasting salvation: ye shall not be ashamed nor confounded world without end.

Isa 45:18  For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else.

Isa 45:19  I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right.

Isa 45:20  Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save.

Isa 45:21  Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me.

Isa 45:22  Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else.

 A Just God And A Saviour

Cyrus was spoken of briefly at the end of the previous chapter. Now he is addressed directly by God in a prophecy recorded several hundred years before his birth. Cyrus will be anointed by God to serve His cause and fulfil His will for the benefit of God’s remnant people among the Jews and His elect among the Gentiles of after-ages. Cyrus will be strengthened, enriched and emboldened by the Lord. His enemies will submit to his rule. Yet the purpose of all his elevation is God’s love for His church. They would be blessed and God’s name honoured.

One true God

How blessed Isaiah’s readers were to hear the Lord’s own account of His glory and power. These words are directed to Cyrus but believers find great comfort in meditating upon Jehovah God’s revelation of Himself. ‘I am the LORD, and there is none else. I form the light, and create darkness: I make peace, and create evil: I the LORD do all these things.’ The Lord attributes all power, dominion, righteousness and salvation to Himself. Isaiah knew ‘salvation is of the Lord’ though it does not appear Cyrus ever learned this truth.

Pots in the potter’s hand

It is futile for men and women to strive against God or try to contend with their Maker who upholds and orders everything that is created. Cyrus ruled many nations who worshipped many idol-gods but none were comparable to ‘the LORD, the Holy One of Israel’. Cyrus was raised up to be an instrument in God’s hand for the wellbeing of God’s church, as is everything in this world. God’s ‘sons’ are God’s children by adopting grace. All who are saved by grace shall have good at God’s hand in this world and the next.

Isaiah saw the Lord

Again we have wonderful views of the Messiah revealed to Isaiah by God and by Isaiah to God’s people. Cyrus was appointed to serve God’s purpose for earthly Jerusalem but it is the Messiah, our Lord Jesus, who is really in view. Christ was raised in righteousness, directed in all His ways and ‘shall build my city, and he shall let go my captives’. Cyrus would enable the rebuilding of Jerusalem but Christ builds a spiritual city comprised of His born-again people. The building of Zion is the grafting into the body of Christ the elect from amongst the Gentiles. This great salvation is all of free grace, bestowed without money and without price.

Constrained by grace

The reference to peoples brought in chains, though suggestive of Cyrus’ victories, is a prophecy of the ingathering of the elect from all nations into the church. These men and women are subdued by grace and discover the peace and presence of God in the Zion of God. God largely hid Himself from the Gentile world until the coming of the Messiah. By Christ’s gospel going into all the world the Gentiles now acknowledge Him as Lord and Saviour and are united together with believing Jews in ‘everlasting salvation’.

A just God and a Saviour

We are informed of the success of the gospel when it goes forth openly, audibly and effectually to gather the elect. They are called to assemble together as Christ’s church. The ignorance and foolishness of idolators who worship gods of wood is contrasted with God’s spiritual people who are made wise have heard the good tidings of justifying righteousness from ancient time. The One true God is revealed in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ, ‘a just God and a Saviour’.

Look unto me

‘Look unto me’, the One true God and Saviour, is the call of the gospel in a sinful world. It is a discriminating and separating message, likened by Paul to a double-edged sword. It confirms rebels in their sin while drawing with spiritual power those who are loved of God. There is no other salvation. All who come to Christ in faith and look to Christ in their need, will be saved. The gospel goes forth in power and the word of the Lord shall not return void. It will accomplish its purpose to bring in God’s saints from the ends of the earth.

Justified in Christ

All who come in faith to Christ shall declare, ‘Surely … in the LORD have I righteousness and strength’. All God’s people confess their righteousness is in Christ alone. All God’s people confess their spiritual strength and their faith to believe is in Christ alone. No true believer seeks to build their own righteousness outside of Christ. Therefore, says Isaiah, ‘In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified’, and be made righteous. In the LORD shall God’s elect, the seed of Israel, find grace now and glory hereafter.

Amen

Our hymns are below.

Hymn 1

Gadsby selection 63 

All things decreed. Matt. 10. 29-31; Isa. 45. 7; Dan. 2. 21

I. Watts                                                     I. Watts

1

There’s not a sparrow nor a worm
But’s found in God’s decrees;
He raises monarchs to their thrones,
And sinks them if he please.

2
If light attend the course I run,
’Tis he provides those rays;
And ’tis his hand that hides my sun,
If darkness cloud my days.

3
When he reveals the Book of Life,
O may I read my name
Among the chosen of his love,
The followers of the Lamb!

Hymn 2

Gadsby selection 943 

Seeking the Lord’s Face. Ps. 27. 8; Isa. 45. 19

W. W. Horne            L.M.

1
The God of grace delights to hear
 The plaintive cry, the humble prayer;
 Nor shall the weakest saint complain
 That he has sought the Lord in vain.

2
With power to Jacob’s seed he speaks;
 His word the heart asunder breaks;
 While grace the rage of sin controls,
 And deep repentance melts their souls.

3
“Seek ye my face,” Jehovah cries;
 With joy the contrite heart replies,
 “Thy face I seek; with power descend,
 From every foe my soul defend!”

4
A bleeding Christ is all they plead,
 And all that guilty sinners need;
 In whose dear name their fervent cries
 Before the Lord like incense rise.

The gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ successfully accomplishes its purpose to gather God's elect to Himself. It declares the message that we have both a just God and Saviour who makes His people righteous and enables us to believe. Our Lord Jesus Christ is a faithful and worthy God and Saviour.

17 December 2023