Series: Isaiah
Title: Grace Exalted--Now Will I Rise!
Text: Isaiah 33: 7-12
Date: October 31, 2010
Place: SGBC, New Jersey
Isaiah 33: 7: Behold, their valiant ones shall cry without: the ambassadors of peace shall weep bitterly.
"Their Valiant Ones" are the messengers sent to the wall of Jerusalem by king Senncaherib of Assyria to make his boast against King Hezekiah. This caused Hezekiah's ambassadors to weep bitterly. This was their boast and what caused Hezekiah's ambassadors to weep.
Hezekiah was a good king over Judah. A type of Christ in many ways. But as a believer, he was a king and a priest unto God, just as every true believer is. Peter called the believer a "royal priesthood". So is every believer in Christ our King and High Priest (Rev 1: 6; 5: 10).
· 2 Kings 18: 1-8
· 2 Chronicles 32:1-8
· Isaiah 22: 11-16
The LORD had sent the king of Assyria to try his people in Jerusalem. But rather than look to the LORD they began to look to these natural defenses. Shebna was one of Hezekiah's ambassadors--the secretary of defense--a scribe, a treasurer, one "counted the towers". (No mighty man trusting in his own strength will be in God's heavenly Jerusalem (Isaiah 33: 18)) Apparently, the walls of defense were due greatly to his council.
· Isaiah 22: 15-16
In spite of the walls and the defenses the Assyrian king kept coming. He came up to Lachish one of the outlying cities. What happens next was part of Shebn'a council as well (probably was profiting personally from all this).
· 2 Kings 18: 13-16
They had looked to natural defenses rather than the LORD. Now, Hezekiah takes the things of God and tries to make a covenant with the enemy. How often do, we--as believers--make this foolish mistake. Rather than look to the LORD, we take the precious things of his house and attempt to make a covenant with the enemy. Will this work?
· Isaiah 36: 2-22 (Here is where our text began--the messengers of king Senncherib cry without the wall to the ambassadors of king Hezekiah).
Back to our text:
Isaiah 22: 10 Now will I rise, saith the LORD; now will I be exalted; now will I lift up myself.
I. THE LORD WILL GRACIOUSLY STRIP HIS CHILDREN OF ALL VAIN CONFIDENCE.
V8: The highways lie waste, the wayfaring man ceaseth:
A. The only High Way is Christ Jesus the Lord.
1. But we cannot see the highway while we are looking at these earthly defenses--every other way must be taken away.
B. The only covenant wherein the child of God shall be saved is the everlasting covenant of grace.
V8:…he hath broken the covenant, he hath despised the cities, he regardeth no man.
1. God will graciously make his children to behold no covenant we make will prosper.
C. The Lord teaches us not to look to things of the earth but to Christ at God's right hand.
V9: The earth mourneth and languisheth: Lebanon is ashamed and hewn down: Sharon is like a wilderness; and Bashan and Carmel shake off their fruits.
1. Our proud and lofty cedars of Lebannon must be chopped down.
2. We must be brought to behold our fertile lands below can not save us
3. The fruits of our earthly city must be dried up
Application: This will be a time of bitter weeping. But this is where the faithful LORD always brings his children that we might behold him and him alone (Isaiah 30: 17-19)
When we correct our children, may God show us that he does so using everything at his disposal. May we point our children to him, even as he points us to him.
II. GRACE EXALTED--THE LORD SAVES BY GRACE ALONE
A. Remember how Hezekiah gave the treasures to Senncaherib? His father Ahaz did the same thing in his day.
2 Kings 16:8: And Ahaz took the silver and gold that was found in the house of the LORD, and in the treasures of the king’s house, and sent [it for] a present to the king of Assyria.
1. But listen to the LORD's word concerning Hezekiah,
2 Ki 18:5: He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor [any] that were before him.
2. Though Hezekiah and the remnant in Jerusalem sinned, in Christ he was Righteous. He had done exactly as King Christ (typified in David his Father). We establish the righteousness of God by faith in Christ who Faithfully is the Righteousness of God (Romans 3: 31). The Father chastened him as a son but he took not his grace from him. Salvation is all of grace. God's grace is not based on our merit before he calls us, nor after he calls us. The Lord says to his enemies: Isaiah 22: 11: Ye shall conceive chaff, ye shall bring forth stubble: your breath, [as] fire, shall devour you. 12 And the people shall be [as] the burnings of lime: [as] thorns cut up shall they be burned in the fire. But to his children of free grace he says that He changes not, therefore us--sons of Jacob--are not consumed (Mal 3: 6;--read Is 10: 20-21).
III. IN ALL THIS, WE SEE THAT GOD IS FAITHFUL, HE BRING HIS CHILDREN TO CALL UPON HIM TO SAVE THEM AND HE ALWAYS ANSWERS.
The evidence that a person is not a child of God is if they are without the protecting correction of God the Father (Hebrews 12: 6-15). He always brings his children to call upon him to save them.
- Is 37: 1-7 (king of Assyria sent a letter)
- Is 37: 14-38--FOR MINE OWN SAKE, FOR DAVID'S SAKE (the sake of King Jesus)
The LORD exalts himself in the heart of his vessel of mercy by making the sinner to behold that though he is no different from any other, God freely justified him and freely sanctified him from all evil through his Word of Truth. Therein is God exalted in the heart. His grace exalted in the heart. Thereby does he strip us of our vain refuge and make his child to cry out to him to save. Thereby does he continually teach us he is a God of judgment. Blessed are those who wait on him. Salvation is of the Lord. May he do whatever he deems necessary to make you behold his GRACE EXALTED!