Series: Isaiah
Title: I Will Be With You
Text: Isaiah 43: 2
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
Date: September 25, 2011
To whom is the LORD speaking?
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.
God is not speaking to all people but to his Israel: to those he created, those he formed, those he redeemed, those he called by thy name, those who are his purchased possession—thou art mine.
Is this a description of you? Can you say, “I am what I am by the grace of God?” If so, if the LORD God is your God, if all your hope, all your refuge, all your strength, is the God of all grace--then pause a moment before we read any further, hear the Lord’s word personally to you. Hear the Lord’s words as personally to you as if the only two in the room is you and the Lord. Hear the Lord is speaking as if to you alone. Our text is verse 2.
Isaiah 43: 2: When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee: when thou walkest through the fire, thou shalt not be burned; neither shall the flame kindle upon thee.
I. THE LORD THY GOD SAYS, TO EACH OF HIS CHILDREN PERSONALLY, WE SHALL PASS THROUGH WATERS AND FIRE—Isaiah 43: 3: When thou passest through the waters...and through the rivers,…when thou walkest through the fire,…
The water and the fire represent judgment throughout the scriptures. Judgment has been satisfied on behalf of all those for whom Christ died. Christ bore the water and fire of judgment in the place of his people. His people are justified. Each shall be brought by the Spirit of God to believe on the Lord who justified them (Romans 3: 23-26.) The water and fire of God’s judgment is seen everywhere upon the inhabitants and nations of this earth. You and I who believe God, suffer many trials as his judgment is poured out upon the nations of this earth. These waters and fire of trial are good for the Lord’s people.
The waters and the fire are not by accident. They are by the direct hand of God.
· The flood in Noah’s day—ordered by his hand
· The Red Sea—God hedged them in
· The crossing of the Jordan—God brought them there
· Burning of Sodom and Gomorrah—God reigned down
The waters and the fire are necessary. Necessary to make us stand still and see that the Lord is doing the saving. We become encumbered with much serving. We begin leaning to our own understanding. We become afraid and begin murmuring against God and our brethren
At the Red Sea--Pharaoh drew near, the Egyptians marched after them; and they were sore afraid: and the children of Israel cried out unto the LORD—they murmured against God. We know that by hearing what they said about God’s servant.
Exodus 14: 11: And they said unto Moses, Because there were no graves in Egypt, hast thou taken us away to die in the wilderness?
But hear the word of the Lord. This is why the Lord brought them to that place.
Exodus 14: 13: And Moses said unto the people, Fear ye not, stand still, and see the salvation of the LORD, which he will shew to you to day:…14 The LORD shall fight for you, and ye shall hold your peace.
At the overflowing Jordan River: God brought them right to that place on purpose so they would stand still and look to the Ark—to Christ—who dried up the river and went across before them.
Joshua 3: 8: And thou shalt command the priests that bear the ark of the covenant, saying, When ye are come to the brink of the water of Jordan, ye shall stand still in Jordan. 9 And Joshua said unto the children of Israel, Come hither, and hear the words of the LORD your God. 10 And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive out from before you the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Hivites, and the Perizzites, and the Girgashites, and the Amorites, and the Jebusites. 11: Behold, the ark of the covenant of the Lord of all the earth passeth over before you into Jordan.
That Ark is a picture of Christ. Because Christ has gone before us through the water and fire of God’s judgment, we shall know that God will deliver us from all our enemies.
Joshua 3: 17: And the priests that bare the ark of the covenant of the LORD stood firm on dry ground in the midst of Jordan, and all the Israelites passed over on dry ground, until all the people were passed clean over Jordan.
The water and fire of trials are necessary to make us behold that because Christ has gone before us, God alone shall deliver us through all our enemies.
· Fire came down on Sodom and Gomorrah—but not before the Lord brought Lot out
· Fire of Babylonian captivity—but a remnant returned as promised
· Fire of judgment upon Jerusalem—God brought out his own
· Your fire and mine—not one shall be lost—
Amos 9: 9: For, lo, I will command, and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations, like as corn is sifted in a sieve, yet shall not the least grain fall upon the earth.
These waters and fire are necessary to make us let go of everything that is unnecessary—inordinate affection
When through the deep waters I call thee to go,
The rivers of woe shall not thee overflow;
For I will be with thee, thy troubles to bless,
And sanctify to thee thy deepest distress.
When through fiery trials thy pathways shall lie,
My grace, all sufficient, shall be thy supply;
The flame shall not hurt thee; I only design
Thy dross to consume, and thy gold to refine.
II. THE LORD GOD SAYS TO YOU, “WHEN YOU PASS THROUGH THE WATERS AND THE FIRE…I WILL BE WITH THEE.
With you in person
Because his chosen children have been IN HIM from before the world was made—of God are ye in Christ Jesus. Our Lord, our Savior, our God is with us right now in this earth as real as we were in him when he walked this earth and bore our sin in his own body on the tree putting away all our sin.
All God’s elect, all whom he brings to truly believe on him, those of you who truly believe on him were in him--when he passed through the waters and fire on our behalf.
Christ is the believer’s Righteousness. Each and every righteous step the Savior took—are the steps of my perfect righteousness.
Christ is the believer’s Sanctification. The absence of guile in the holy character of the Holy One—is the righteousness imparted in sanctification in the new birth when the Spirit of God enters in making his child a new creation--whereby God can say of his child, “In whom there is no guile.”
Psalm 32: 2: Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth not iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no guile.
1 John 3: 9: Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.
The justification accomplished by his shameful curse-bearing—is the justification of each believer. By his grace, every believer is robed in his seamless righteousness—made the righteousness of God IN HIM.
So he says, when you pass through these waters and fires—I will be with you—he is in you who believe—as real as you were in him when he died and rose again.
With you in sympathy—he has suffered all that he calls us to suffer, but he suffered much more.
1. Do you suffer from family members who do not believe on the Lord?—the Lord Jesus passed through the water and fire of family trouble.
John 7: 3 His brethren therefore said unto him, [Some of the distant relations of Mary or Joseph, that dwelt at Nazareth, or Capernaum,] Depart hence, and go into Judaea, that thy disciples also may see the works that thou doest. 4: For there is no man that doeth any thing in secret, and he himself seeketh to be known openly. If thou do these things, shew thyself to the world. 5: For neither did his brethren believe in him. 6: Then Jesus said unto them, My time is not yet come: but your time is alway ready. 7: The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.
Matthew 10: 36: And a man’s foes shall be they of his own household.
Our Savior is able to comfort his children in family troubles—he knows family trouble.
John 1: 11: He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
2. Financial trouble—He who owns a cattle on a thousand hills—had not where to lay his head. He who held the waters in the hollow of his hand—said, “I thirst.” This was his heart of faithfulness and the heart he puts in us, he says:
Luke 12: 29:..don’t be…of doubtful mind. 30:…your Father knoweth that ye have need of these things. 31: But rather seek ye the kingdom of God; and all these things shall be added unto you. 32: Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.
3. Physical, spiritual trouble—believer, the Lord endured the agonies of the cross in your place:
Matthew 27:39: And they that passed by reviled him, wagging their heads,….Mark 15:29: And they that passed by railed on him, wagging their heads, and saying, Ah, thou that destroyest the temple, and buildest it in three days,
Lamentations 1: 12: Is it nothing to you, all ye that pass by? behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow, which is done unto me, wherewith the LORD hath afflicted me in the day of his fierce anger.
The trial has one end—to draw us to our Savior! He is with us. He is with us in sympathy. He alone is the comfort of our souls. He will comfort you through the Holy Spirit Comforter. Flee to his throne of grace.
Hebrews 2: 17 Wherefore in all things it behoved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people. 18: For in that he himself hath suffered being tempted, he is able to succour them that are tempted.
Hebrews 4: 15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.
With you Always.
Hebrews 13: 5: Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
“lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world.”
Matthew 18: 20: For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.
III. BECAUSE THE LORD IS WITH HIS DEAR CHILD—THE LORD GOD SAYS, THOU SHALT PASS THROUGH—Isaiah 43: 2…
A. The Rivers Shall not Overflow thee
B. Thou Shalt Not Be Burned
C. Neither Shall the Fire Kindle Upon Thee
Illustration: Paul knew the waters and the fire
2 Corinthians 11: 24: Of the Jews five times received I forty stripes save one. 25: Thrice was I beaten with rods, once was I stoned, thrice I suffered shipwreck, a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26: In journeyings often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils by mine own countrymen, in perils by the heathen, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27: In weariness and painfulness, in watchings often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness. 28: Beside those things that are without, that which cometh upon me daily, the care of all the churches.
2 Timothy 4: 16: At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. 17: Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion. 18: And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
1 Peter 5: 10: But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.
2 Corinthians 4: 16: For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. 17 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; 18 While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. 5: 1: For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of God, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.
Application: Never forget…we shall pass into water and fire of trial. But the Lord says, I will be with you. And because he is with you then you shall be delivered. He has saved us, is saving us and shall yet deliver us.
Psalm 121:3: He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber….8: The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.
1 Samuel 2:9: He will keep the feet of his saints, and the wicked shall be silent in darkness; for by strength shall no man prevail.
Amen!