Series: Isaiah
Title: The Name and Promises of God
Text: Isaiah 42: 8-20
Date: May 8, 2011
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
Believer, whenever you read the name which God has named you and the promises which God has made to you, always consider them as first between the triune God and Christ Jesus our Mediator. It will surely bless our hearts to do so.
Proposition: The name and promises in our text are first the names and promises made and fulfilled in Christ—therefore they are the name and everlasting promises given to every believer.
Title: The Name and Promises of God
Divisions: 1. The name and blessings given of God are Christ’s name and blessings; 2: The promises made by God were first promises made to Christ; 3: God’s promises to you who believe
I. The name and blessings given to Christ’s bride is first Christ’s name and the blessings given to him.
Isaiah 41: 8: But thou, Israel, art my servant, Jacob whom I have chosen, the seed of Abraham my friend.
Illustration: A wife is given the name of her Husband and all that belongs to her Husband becomes hers
Thou Israel, art my servant—
Note how this chapter begins v1-2—spoken of Abraham—can be said of Isaac, of Jacob, of all of God’s elect, redeemed, called--now listen to Christ speak in Is 49: 1-3.) Christ is Israel, in whom God is glorified--the Prince who has prevailed with God and men—“he shall not fail.”
Just as the Lord touched Jacob in power and gave Jacob the Lord’s name--“Israel”—prince with God. So the Holy Spirit effectually makes us one with Christ so that we are married to Christ by his grace. His name and all his blessings are ours by the Spirits regenerating grace, making us one in Christ.
(Note: take the time to read chapter 41 and 49---what is said of Christ’s bride in chapter 41, is said of Christ in chapter 49.)
Jacob whom I have chosen
Jacob—is our name by birth in Adam—we are supplanting, scheming, cheaters.
V14—thou worm Jacob—Worms live in dust, feed on death, produce only dung, are powerless and are easily crushed to death—every sinner born into this world dead in trespasses and in sins. But notice v8:…Jacob whom I have chosen—we are worms, but God chose some to be his. God’s electing grace is not only of the church, but of each individual sinner who makes up his bride. God chose Jacob personally—“Jacob have I loved, but Esau have I hated”; “It is not of him (the sinner individually) that willeth or of him that runneth but of God that sheweth mercy.”
But how could God love Jacob? How could he love us Jacobs? Because God first chose Christ who is holy and without blame—(Isaiah 42:1-4) And in Christ… Ephesians 1: 3: Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ: 4 According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:
Beholding what God has done for us freely by his grace in Christ, we take our place as worms singing with Isaac Watts
“Alas! And did my Savior bleed,
And did my sovereign die?
Would He devote that sacred head
For such a worm as I?
The Seed of Abraham my friend.
THE Seed of Abraham is Christ
Galatians 3:16: Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.
Abraham’s son, Isaac, was a type of Christ—the son of promise, a son of a miraculous birth of God. Each child of mercy born of the Holy Spirit—given faith to believe on Christ--is a miracle child of God’s grace, made the righteousness of God through faith in Christ.
Galatians 3: 29: And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
The name and blessings given here to you who are called of God is the name and blessings given first to Christ, and to us by union with him. And because that is so, this is so: Isaiah 41: 9: Thou whom I have taken from the ends of the earth, and called thee from the chief men thereof, and said unto thee, Thou art my servant; I have chosen thee, and not cast thee away. My servant—perfect servants in Christ who served perfectly—by his dominion in our hearts--no longer servants of sin, of self, of men, but servants of God.
II. GOD’S PROMISES TO HIS PEOPLE WERE FIRST GOD’S PROMISES TO CHRIST.
Christ is the GodMan Mediator—as the Son of God he is equal with God. But he humbled himself and took the form of a servant and made in the likeness of sinful flesh. As a Man, as the servant of God serving for his people, Christ Jesus perfected obedience casting all his care on the Father at all times and was given everything God promised him.
Hebrews 5: 8: Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 9: And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; 10: Called of God an high priest after the order of Melchisedec.
Brethren, do you become fearful? We sin in our fearfulness. Christ was touched with the same feelings of our infirmities, yet he never sinned. Christ our High Priest knows what we feel so he is able to comfort us—and he is God our Savior who is able to comfort us effectually.
Christ was promised strength and as the faithful servant of God, cast his care upon the Father. In the garden of Gethsemane, the angel of the LORD came and strengthened Christ. Perhaps that strength went something like this; Isaiah 41: 10: Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. This is the promise wherewith he comforts his children in all our fears.
Here is another promise made first, to Christ
Isaiah 41: 11: Behold, all they that were incensed against thee shall be ashamed and confounded: they shall be as nothing; and they that strive with thee shall perish. 12: Thou shalt seek them, and shalt not find them, even them that contended with thee: they that war against thee shall be as nothing, and as a thing of nought.
Does God fulfill his covenant promises? When the soldiers came to arrest Christ, we see an example of this.
John 18: 4: Jesus therefore, knowing all things that should come upon him, went forth, and said unto them, Whom seek ye? 5: They answered him, Jesus of Nazareth. Jesus saith unto them, I am he. And Judas also, which betrayed him, stood with them. 6: As soon then as he had said unto them, I am he, they went backward, and fell to the ground.
God says to you who believe on him
Isaiah 41: 14: Fear not, thou worm Jacob,
When the LORD laid on Christ the iniquity of us all, when he himself bore our sins in his own body on the tree, when he was made a curse for us—our Substitute, our Sin-Bearer—cried out:
Psalm 22: 6: But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.
But here was the promise Christ had:
John 16:32: Behold, the hour cometh, yea, is now come, that ye shall be scattered, every man to his own, and shall leave me alone: and yet I am not alone, because the Father is with me.
Brethren, do your sins cause you fear? Because Christ took flesh, became obedient unto the death of the cross, purged our sins, making us the righteousness of God in him, the triune God says to us worms Isaiah 41: 14: Fear not, thou worm Jacob, and ye men of Israel; I will help thee, saith the LORD,--Jehovah-God our Father and thy Redeemer,--God the Son, our Redeemer the Holy One of Israel-God the Holy Spirit. Oh, you who are God’s worms—think on this--the triune God makes this everlasting covenant to help you!
Just a brief word about Isaiah 41: 15-16
This, too, is first a description of our Victorious, Risen Redeemer (Is 49: 8-9) All power in heaven and earth is his. Just as when he walked this earth—he said, “Follow me!” “Zacchius come down!” Lazurus come forth, so he does now through the Spirit, through his gospel, delivered by his servants. He has made worms to be his mouthpiece—to glorify his holy name and power whereby HE shall receive all the glory for calling out all his sheep. He shall provide all. Isaiah 41: 17-19
III. NOW WE WILL GO HOME REMEMBERING GOD’S PROMISES. (underscore “I am’s, I wills, thou shalts)
1. Do you feel alone? God says, v10: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee,”
2. Are you fearful? V10: Fear not, be not dismayed; for I am thy God,” (Rom. 8: 28-39)
3. Are you weak? V10: Your God says, “I will strengthen thee.”
4. Are you helpless? God says, three times, “I will help thee.”
5. Do you stumble as you walk through this world? The Lord says, v10: “I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.”
6. Are your enemies a terror to you? (vv11-12) I will confound them, bring them to nothing and slay them everyone.
7. Is there no strength in your hand? (v13) The Lord your God says, “I will hold thy right hand.”
8. Do you weep? He promises (v16) “Thou shalt rejoice in the Lord.”
9. Are you abased? (v16) “Thou shalt glory in the Holy One of Israel” (v. 16).
10. Do it sometimes seem as if no one will listen? God says, (v17) “I the Lord will hear them”
11. Does you sometimes feel alone? (v17) He says, “I the God of Israel will not forsake them”
What a helpless, powerless, wretched bunch of worms we are in ourselves.
· Oh, but what a God who chose, redeemed and called us
· What a name he has given us—his name!
· What promises he has made unto us—his promise!
Because the promises God has written in our hearts, were first given to Christ—fulfilled to him and by him in perfection, we are assured that the everlasting covenant which God makes to every believer is YES-ordered and sure in all things
One last thing: why is salvation of the Lord? Why did God manifest his name in Christ this way? Why have we looked to Christ in this text to hear God’s sure promise unto us today, brethren?
Isaiah 41: 20: That they may see, and know, and consider, and understand together, that the hand of the LORD hath done this, and the Holy One of Israel hath created it.
2 Corinthians 1: 20: For all the promises of God in [Christ] are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.
AMEN!