Sovereign Grace Baptist Church

Series: Isaiah

Title: Lawful Captives Delivered

Text: Isaiah 49: 24-26

Date: January 20, 2013

Place: SGBC, New Jersey

Isaiah 49: 24: Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered? 25: But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children. 26: And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine: and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob.

Literally, historically, the mighty king of Babylon with his mighty and terrible forces had taken God’s Israel captive.  The king of Babylon was the mighty, the terrible.  Israel and Judah were the prey.  Israel had sinned against God therefore God allowed Babylon to take them. So the children of Israel were “lawful captives.” 

But the LORD God, as he promised in the word he delivered by Isaiah, sent a deliverer from a far country.  Cyrus broke the yoke of Babylon from off Israel, he carried Israel the whole way across the desert, and he delivered them into their own land in Zion. God promised it.  God did it.

Proposition: All of that was an historical picture to show us what God has, and is, doing for his spiritual Israel in sending his Son, Christ Jesus to set his people free, to carry us through this world, and to deliver us into heavens Zion.

Title: Lawful Captives Delivered

Divisions: 1): The prey and the mighty; 2): The Deliverer and the Deliverance; 3) The End

I. THE PREY AND THE MIGHTY--Isaiah 49: 24: Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, or the lawful captive delivered?

Illustrate: The squirrel and the hawk in our front yard.  The squirrel was the prey.  The hawk was the mighty.

The mighy, the terrible is Satan, the Devil, along with all the powers of evil of spiritual Babylon, falsehood and wickedness. His names convey his power: the strong man armed, a roaring lion, the great red dragon, leviathan, the piercing serpent.

The prey are those God shall save by his grace—his elect.  Christ’s people, like all mankind, fell “prey” to Satan in the garden. 

Shall the “lawful captive be delivered?”

Satan is a crafty foe. Had he gone into the garden and seized Adam by mere power, we would be his unlawful captives.  But, if Adam transgressed the law of God then Adam, and all mankind, would be Satan’s lawful captives. 

So Satan used the woman.  He beguiled, tricked, Eve.  He did as Satan’s preachers do. He crafted the word of God.  He told Eve that God meant something other than what God said. 

Genesis 3: 4: And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: 5: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

So Eve gave to Adam and with his 0eyes wide open, Adam did eat, sin entered in and death by sin and death passed upon all men for all have sinned.  And we are doubly bound—because not only did we break the law in Adam, but God’s elect are born into this earth bound under Satan’s power in our sin-nature, altogether disobedience to God.

Ephesians 2: 2: Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience.

So this is why Satan is said to have the “power of death.”  It is not because he can kill and destroy men when he will, but because he was the first introducer of sin, which brought death, so he was a murderer from the beginning. His power is sin and death.  He temps men to sin, accuses them and terrifies them with a fear of death. 

So here is the question of questions, “Shall the lawful captive be delivered?”  The chains of the lawful captive are as strong as the sanctions of the law he has violated.  How strong is the law of God?  How demanding is the holy justice of God? Christ said,

Matthew 5:18: For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

The LORD told Moses, “I will by no means clear the guilty.”  (Ex 34: 7)  “The wages of sin is death.” (Rom 6: 23) “The soul that sinneth, it shall die.” (Eze 18: 4)  Every sinner shall die.  Every sinner shall die—either in a Substitute or in their sins.  But every sinner shall die. The holy justice of God demands it.

Application: Now, here is the question for you personally, are you a sinner? There may be some here who think that I talk about sin too much.  But do you notice that every passage of scripture in the word of God begins by addressing this problem of sin?  Whether you know it or not, whether you admit it or not, you are a sinner? 

Romans 3:23: For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

The reason the scriptures keep dealing with this sin issue is because our life is a vapor and in the blink of an eye you will be standing before holy God.  And you who are unconverted are dead in trespasses and in sins. You are under the curse, hanging over the pit of hell by a thread.  I can’t express to you how bad your condition is right there where you sit.  You are in the grip of the prince of darkness, his lawful captive because you have broken the law of God.  And you don’t even have a will to want to be delivered! There is nothing you can do to free yourself.  A guilty criminal cannot justify himself.  You can’t walk an aisle to freedom.  We can’t be baptized into freedom.  We can’t work yourself into freedom.  You have to die!

So because it is the very holy law of God which fastens our shackles tight, because the justice of death must be carried out upon the convicted, then this becomes the question of all questions, "Shall the lawful captive be delivered?" How can God be just and yet set the captive free in mercy?

II. THE DELIVERER AND THE DELIVERANCE

Isaiah 49: 25: But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered: for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.

The Deliverer is Christ Jesus

Shall the prey be taken from the mighty, shall the lawful captive be delivered?  The answer is yes—“But thus saith the LORD, Even the captives of the mighty shall be taken away, and the prey of the terrible shall be delivered.”  By whom?—“for I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children.” THE LORD God, Christ the Savior, Christ the Redeemer, the Holy One Himself has pledged himself to deliver the elect of God—“I will save thy children.”  That is what God the Son promised God the Father in the everlasting covenant of grace when he struck hands to become our Surety.

Illustration: Like Judah promised Israel his father concerning Benjamin.  Genesis 49: 9: I will be surety for him; of my hand shalt thou require him: if I bring him not unto thee, and set him before thee, then let me bear the blame for ever:

Then in the garden, God promised Satan that Christ would contend with him.

Genesis 3: 15: And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her Seed [Christ]; it [Christ the woman’s Seed] shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Here he promises us, he will contend with him that contends with us.  Christ came to destroy the works of the devil and deliver his children.

1 John 3:8: He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil.

Proven Spotless

Up until the cross, Satan attempted repeatedly to contend with our Savior but failed. Satan tried to prevent his coming into the earth by destroying the children of Israel over and again—but Christ prevented him.  Satan tried to destroy Christ as soon as he was born into the world, using Herod.

Revelation 12: 4:…the dragon stood before the woman which was ready to be delivered, for to devour her child as soon as it was born.

But the Lord was in control.  He was taken to Egypt and so fulfilled his own scripture.

Matthew 2: 15: And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.

The word contend means “sue, charge, accuse.” Satan is the “accuser of the brethren.”  Satan tried many times to find something to accuse Christ of. In fact, God used his attempts to show us just how pure and spotless the Holy One is.  After our Lord’s baptism, in the wilderness Satan tried to get something with which to accuse our Savior but Christ overcame him. (Matt. 4:1-11)  Then again Satan tried in the Garden of Gethsemane but Christ overcame him.

John 14: 30: Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in me.

The death of Christ was not owing to any sin of his own, he had none.  His death was not due to any power of the devil over him—Christ submitted to death, in love to his Father, and obedience to his command.  But after proving himself the just one, the holy one, the spotless lamb of God, THEN IT WAS CHRIST WHO CONTENDED WITH SATAN.

How does Christ accomplish this deliverance of his people? In a three fold way: redemption, regeneration and resurrection.

The Deliverance by Redemption

First, Christ delivers by redeeming his people through his death.

Hebrews 2:14: Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; 15: And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage.

It was by his death, being lifted up on the cross that the world was judged, Satan’s head was crushed, and all his elect were redeemed.

John 12:31: Now is the judgment of this world: now shall the prince of this world be cast out. 32: And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me. 33: This he said, signifying what death he should die.

So Christ willingly gave himself to be crucified. When they came to arrest him, he said,

Luke 22:53: When I was daily with you in the temple, ye stretched forth no hands against me: but this is your hour, and the power of darkness.

On the cross, God held back the glory of his power and allowed Satan and all his principalities and powers to let loose upon Christ.  Every poisoned arrow, every fiery dart that could be hurled at him, Christ endured. He bore the sins of his people, the penalty of justice and all the fiery darts of the wicked.  Yet Christ remained faithful through it all.

And by laying down his life Christ spoiled principalities and powers, and him that had the power of death—he took away all Satan’s ammunition.  Our scapegoat took away the sins of his people when he was cut off. Our sin-offering justified his people of all our sins when he died. Our High Priest entered into the presence of God with his own blood and God is eternally satisfied with his people.

As the result of our Savior's obedience, death, resurrection, and ascension as our Substitute, the serpent's head was crushed. His power was broken. His usurped dominion over the nations of the world was overthrown.

Revelation 12:9: And the great dragon was cast out, that old serpent, called the Devil, and Satan, which deceiveth the whole world: he was cast out into the earth, and his angels were cast out with him.

Jeremiah 31: 10: Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations, and declare it in the isles afar off, and say, He that scattered Israel will gather him, and keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock. 11: For the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and ransomed him from the hand of him that was stronger than he.

Deliverance by Regeneration

Secondly, our deliverance is accomplished by regeneration.

Application: How is it that some can hear this gospel and are yet be unmoved?  Why do I not preach philosophy?  Why do I not teach you little moral stories and try to convince you to turn over a new leaf? It is because though Christ has redeemed his people, until quickened by the Holy Spirit, they are yet under an evil spirit—“the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:”

The demon-possessed man of Gadara in Mark 5: 2-4 had an unclean spirit.  He dwelt among the tombs—among the dead. No man could bind him—he broke every chain.  No man could tame him.  That is the problem with a man in his sins.  For you and I to be made a “new creature in Christ Jesus” there has to be as great a miracle performed as if we were killed, buried, and raised again to newness of life.  God must create us a second time.

I preach Christ and him crucified because Christ alone do it.  He can enter in and cast out the strong man. 

Luke 11: 21: When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace: 22  But when a stronger than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

Christ alone is stronger than he.  He said, "I, if I be lifted up, will draw all men unto me."  In regeneration the Spirit of God creates life and delivers his child from the power of sin and Satan, through the blood of Christ and draw them to himself.  And he shall draw all for whom he died to himself.

Application: When Christ finished with that demoniac, “sitting at the feet of Jesus, clothed, and in his right mind.”  Sinner, you’re not bowing at Christ’s feet. You’re not clothed in his righteousness. And you’re not in your right mind.  I do pray this morning that Christ would give you a believing heart!  For those who are born, praise our heavenly Father,

Colossians 1:13: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:

Deliverance by Resurrection

Thirdly, this deliverance shall be by resurrection.

1 Corinthians 15: 52; In a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trump: for the trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed. 53: For this corruptible must put on incorruption, and this mortal must put on immortality. 54: So when this corruptible shall have put on incorruption, and this mortal shall have put on immortality, then shall be brought to pass the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. 55: O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory? 56: The sting of death is sin; and the strength of sin is the law. 57: But thanks be to God, which giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

Now this deliverance is all by God.  We could not die, we could not re-birth ourselves anymore than we could the first time and we cannot resurrect ourselves.  Salvation is of the Lord.

IV. THEN COMES THE END

Isaiah 49: 26: And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine:…(Rev 12: 5)

The Lord Uses the World to Protect His People

Though Satan is defeated, though he cannot separate God’s people from Christ or hinder the cause of Christ in this earth, he yet rages like a dog on a chain against the Lord’s people, his church.

Revelation 12: 15: And the serpent cast out of his mouth water as a flood after the woman, that he might cause her to be carried away of the flood. 16: And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth, and swallowed up the flood which the dragon cast out of his mouth.

As Satan spews out floods of heresy trying to carry away God's church with the flood, the reprobate of the world swallow up the flood so the Lord’s church is protected (1 Cor. 11:19; Matt. 16:18)—the Lord says, “I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine:”

Everything in this world is according to God’s providence.  And nothing will separate his people from him. (Hosea. 2:18; Rom. 8:28).

Isaiah 54: 17  No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of me, saith the LORD.

In the End

In the end, the Lord will justly leave all our oppressors to bite and devour themselves.  

Revelation 16:6: For they have shed the blood of saints and prophets, and thou hast given them blood to drink; for they are worthy.

In that day, the Lord assures you and I believer that everyone shall know this—“and all flesh shall know that I the LORD am…THY Saviour and THY Redeemer, THE Mighty One, of Jacob.”

Amen!