The Redeemer Shall Come

Our Bible passage, introduction to Sunday 24th March service and hymns are below.

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Our principal verses are:

Isa 59:1  Behold, the LORD'S hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear:

Isa 59:2  But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid his face from you, that he will not hear.

Isa 59:14  And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.

Isa 59:15  Yea, truth faileth; and he that departeth from evil maketh himself a prey: and the LORD saw it, and it displeased him that there was no judgment.

Isa 59:16  And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.

Isa 59:17  For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloke.

Isa 59:18  According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.

Isa 59:19  So shall they fear the name of the LORD from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the LORD shall lift up a standard against him.

Isa 59:20  And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the LORD.

Isa 59:21  As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the LORD; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the LORD, from henceforth and for ever.

 The Redeemer Shall Come

The opening verse of this chapter is for saints who feel forgotten and unnoticed. Hold on in hope to God’s promises even when the Lord seems far away. Persevere in prayer even when His responses seem delayed. The Lord loves us, His people, and whether we see immediate evidence for it or not, He is actively caring for His little flock. Be sure, His ‘hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear’.

When the Lord tarries

There is no lack of power in God to do what He has said. Our Lord is a prayer-hearing and prayer-answering God. There is wisdom in God’s scheduling and there is goodness in His method even if we cannot see the reason now. ‘Behold’ is a call for special attention. Do not doubt! Do not be discouraged! Patience and endurance will be honoured by the Lord when His timing is right and the end of His purpose is fulfilled.

I never knew you

There will always be false professors in the Christian church, men and women who try to claim the promises of mercy and grace while denying the way and means of grace. It is these who have no reconciliation with God and who are separated from Him by sin. There are false preachers who corrupt the doctrine of Christ and whose hands are defiled with blood because they speak lies to men’s souls. This has been the case in every age; it is perhaps more widely prevalent today than ever before.

What Isaiah foresaw

The religion of our age is aptly described in this chapter. Today’s Christianity, so called, is religion without a need for righteousness and faith without a need for truth. Every man does what is right in his own eyes with little concern for the objective truth of the gospel. By their doctrine it appears that few really know the Christ of scripture. The poison of snakes courses in their veins and rests upon their lips. They weave webs of lies which are too thin to provide a covering for sin or supply a righteousness sufficient for heaven.

The enemies of Christ

False religion opposes the true gospel and is quick to attack and suppress faith in Christ wherever it can. The followers of false religion know no peace with God now, despite what they claim, and they will have none from Him in eternity. Their approach to God is crooked and perverse. They come to Him according to their own wisdom, by their own works, through their own righteousness, but it will not do. They oppose and oppress Christ’s gospel as many freewill, and works-righteousness churches do today.

The effect of false religion

Verse 9 changes from ‘they’ to ‘us’ and perhaps speaks of the felt consequences of this opposition and the struggles of the Lord’s people who seem to cry in vain to the Saviour for deliverance. Judah cried out under bondage in Babylon for seventy years and God’s people cry out for deliverance from the corrupt Babylon-religion of our day. We wait for light but we walk in darkness, such is the wickedness of the time in which we live. Justice is withheld and truth, having fallen in the street, is denied.

A man fit to intercede

For the Lord’s own reasons He yet waits to deliver His true church from these attacks. However, the hurt of His people does not go unnoticed. The Lord is displeased with His enemies and ours and ‘wonders’ that there is no intercessor to defend His people. This does not imply surprise on God’s part but displays to the church that there was no other fit person to deliver us. In the absence of a worthy man amongst men the Lord Himself takes our nature and becomes our Saviour. The righteousness of the Godman shall justify His elect .

Christ’s illustrative armour

The Lord putting on righteousness as a breastplate suggests that purity and holiness were next to Christ’s heart throughout His incarnation. Salvation worn as a helmet implies the eternal wellbeing of the elect was Christ’s chief and topmost purpose in coming into this world. He brought vengeance that divides between men for time and eternity, He shows zeal for the love of His Bride and fury against the works of her tormentors.

Promises pending

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Redeemer that has come to Zion. In Christ’s first coming we see redemption prophecies fulfilled. Now we await His future coming when He will redeem His church to glory. These are promises yet pending. These promises are covenant promises. In verse 21 we see and hear Jehovah declare His everlasting purpose to save His people from their sins and gather His church to glory. The Son and His seed will not be forgotten.

Amen

Our hymns are below.

Hymn 1

Gadsby selection 423

“Whom having not seen, ye love.” 1 Pet. 1. 8

I. Watts             S.M.

1
Not with our mortal eyes
Have we beheld the Lord;
Yet we rejoice to hear his name,
And love him in his word.

2
On earth we want the sight
Of our Redeemer’s face;
Yet, Lord, our inmost thoughts delight
To dwell upon thy grace.

3
And when we taste thy love,
Our joys divinely grow
Unspeakable, like those above,
And heaven begins below.

Hymn 2

Gadsby selection 418

Praise to the Redeemer. Phil. 2. 7-9; Eph. 3. 19

A. Steele           C.M.

1
To our Redeemer’s glorious name,
Awake the sacred song;
O may his love (immortal flame!)
Tune every heart and tongue.

2
His love, what mortal thought can reach,
What mortal tongue display?
Imagination’s utmost stretch
In wonder dies away!

3
He left his radiant throne on high!
Left the bright realms of bliss!
And came to earth to bleed and die!
Was ever love like this?

4
Dear Lord, while we adoring pay
Our humble thanks to thee,
May every heart with rapture say,
“The Saviour died for me.”

Isaiah knew of the coming Redeemer. He knew a lot about the promised Messiah who is the Lord Jesus Christ. In this chapter the faithful prophet encouraged the remnant people of His age with views of the coming Messiah that described His successful work.

24 March 2024