083 Here Is Your God – part 1

Isaiah 40:1-31 (1-5)

January 28, 2024

This morning we begin a NEW SEGMENT here in our study of Isaiah.

And, as I told you Sunday night, this final segment

Is the reason for being compelled to preach through Isaiah.

It is 27 chapters of the glorious goodness and preeminence of God.

I can’t think of another segment in Scripture

That more thoroughly focuses on our great Savior than this one.

Now, as we begin this segment as a whole,

There is perhaps some WORK WE NEED TO DO.

First and foremost we must address the issue of

The authorship of the final 27 chapters of Isaiah.

Now, because you and I are simple people who just tend to read the Bible and take it at face value it is likely that you have never questioned this.

But, you should know that there is an academic world out there that casts tremendous doubt as to whether Isaiah was the actual author of this final half, and thus casts doubt on whether or not the last half of the book should even be included in the canon of Scripture.

In fact some attributed the final half of Isaiah to multiple authors.

WHY?

Because clearly, as you will see in Isaiah 40, the issue at hand is the Babylonian captivity.

· The people being addressed here are spoken to as those who are currently in

captivity in Babylon.

· And since the Babylonian captivity occurred 100 years after the time of Isaiah

many have suggested that there is no way that Isaiah could have written it.

These same scholars also balk at the accuracy of events that Isaiah declared, for example:

Isaiah 45:1-3 “Thus says the Lord to Cyrus His anointed, Whom I have taken by the right hand, To subdue nations before him And to loose the loins of kings; To open doors before him so that gates will not be shut: “I will go before you and make the rough places smooth; I will shatter the doors of bronze and cut through their iron bars. “I will give you the treasures of darkness And hidden wealth of secret places, So that you may know that it is I, The Lord, the God of Israel, who calls you by your name.”

· That specific prophecy causes much skepticism by scholars because you have

here Isaiah calling Cyrus by name 175 years before he was even born.

· Several have said that there is no way Isaiah could have written it.

So they concede to the first half of the book

Since Isaiah obviously lived with Hezekiah during the Assyrian invasion,

But they attribute the final half to someone else.

Well, obviously for us that poses a question.

Why do we believe Isaiah wrote all of the book?

Is it just because someone before us stuck those pages in the binder and labeled them Isaiah?

Well, it’s not hard to tell you why we believe it.

Now, as a secondary proof I can tell you that every scroll they have ever found of Isaiah always had it together, so there is no archaeological proof to assert anything other than it is all Isaiah’s work.

But that’s not even why we believe it.

HERE IS WHY:

Matthew 3:3 “For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight!’”

John 1:23 “He said, “I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as Isaiah the prophet said.”

Now both of those men quoted from the last half of Isaiah.

· There they both quoted Isaiah 40:3 and both John the Baptist and Matthew said that it was the words of Isaiah.

Matthew will do it again:

Matthew 8:17 “This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “He Himself took our infirmities and carried away our diseases.”

· That time Matthew quoted from Isaiah 53:4 and said it was Isaiah’s writing.

And again:

Matthew 12:17-21 “This was to fulfill what was spoken through Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, My Servant whom I have chosen; My Beloved in whom My soul is well-pleased; I will put My Spirit upon Him, And He shall proclaim justice to the Gentiles. “He will not quarrel, nor cry out; Nor will anyone hear His voice in the streets. “A battered reed He will not break off, And a smoldering wick He will not put out, Until He leads justice to victory. “And in His name the Gentiles will hope.”

· That time quoting from Isaiah 42:1-3

The apostle John affirmed it:

John 12:38 “This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet which he spoke: “Lord, who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?”

· Quoting from Isaiah 53:1

Luke wrote the book of Acts and he affirmed it along with Philip:

Acts 8:29-33 “Then the Spirit said to Philip, “Go up and join this chariot.” Philip ran up and heard him reading Isaiah the prophet, and said, “Do you understand what you are reading?” And he said, “Well, how could I, unless someone guides me?” And he invited Philip to come up and sit with him. Now the passage of Scripture which he was reading was this: “He was led as a sheep to slaughter; And as a lamb before its shearer is silent, So He does not open His mouth. “In humiliation His judgment was taken away; Who will relate His generation? For His life is removed from the earth.”

· Luke and Philip quoted Isaiah 53:7-8 and said it was Isaiah.

The apostle Paul quoted him as well.

Romans 10:20-21 “And Isaiah is very bold and says, “I was found by those who did not seek Me, I became manifest to those who did not ask for Me.” But as for Israel He says, “All the day long I have stretched out My hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”

· There Paul quoted Isaiah 65:1-2 and said it was the words of Isaiah.

So we say that scholars can doubt and skeptics can question,

But if we have to believe Matthew, John the Baptist, the apostle John, Luke, Philip, and Paul or them, I’ll guess we’ll stick with the apostles.

That means that Isaiah did write the last half of this book

And that he accurately declared things that were going to occur

Hundreds of years beyond him.

And that should not surprise us.

After all, this same Isaiah, in the first uncontested half of his book also predicted:

· The Assyrian invasion

· The fall of Israel

· The fall of many contemporary nations

· The virgin birth

· The coming Messiah

He even spoke of events in the first half of the book that still have yet to be fulfilled, like the Millennial kingdom and the wolf dwelling with the lamb, etc.

So we are not surprised that God would use this same Isaiah

To speak accurately and truthfully about the coming Babylonian exile.

It is in fact confirmation that Isaiah spoke the very words of God.

Now, one other thing I think I would note.

There is no doubt that Isaiah speaks of the Babylonian captives and the struggles of Babylon and God’s promise deliverance from that place.

That is clearly seen.

But Isaiah also speaks of a time far beyond that.

· Isaiah speaks also of a coming Christ and His sacrifice for sinners.

· Isaiah speaks also of the day when Israel will come to Him and be saved.

· It is a glorious prophecy of God of many things that even we as the 21st century church long for and look forward to.

This is a tremendous section of Scripture

That God has given to us through this prophet named Isaiah.

AND THIS MORNING WE BEGIN WITH CHAPTER 40.

So let’s introduce it a little as well.

THE POINT of the chapter could not be clearer.

We see it in verse 1, “Comfort, O comfort My people,” says your God.”

God repeats it twice so that there is no confusion

What the benefit of this sermon is meant to be.

God’s people are meant to study this chapter

And come away comforted.

That word “comfort” is (Na-Kham)

· In its base root form it speaks of “sighing or even groaning”.

· It’s like when you see someone hurting and you sort of gasp and groan for

them.

· It brings with it then a sympathy and a desire to give consolation and

comfort to those who grieve.

AND THAT IS WHAT GOD IS DOING HERE.

He groans and sighs with sympathy to extend mercy to His people.

And it is so important that you understand this about our God.

· He is NOT cruel.

· He is NOT bitter.

· He is NOT aloof.

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction so that we will be able to comfort those who are in any affliction with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.”

· Paul actually calls Him “the Father of mercies and God of all comfort”

· And incidentally Paul wrote this referring to a time in his life when he despaired even of life.

Things like mercy and compassion and assurance and comfort

Are things that come to us only from God, and He delights to give them.

NOW IT IS TRUE that from God’s perspective, because of our sinfulness, that times of discipline are sometimes necessary.

Certainly these who are in Babylon are there because of the disciplinary hand of God.

· It is God who sent Babylon.

· It is God who exiled His people.

· Discipline was necessary.

But we also know that His discipline doesn’t last forever.

Hebrews 12:10-11 “For they disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.”

· Discipline is there referred to as “a short time”.

· And always to benefit us, not destroy us.

1 Peter 5:10 “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”

· There again discipline is said to be “for a little while”

· Then “the God of all grace” rushes in to “perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.”

He is the God of comfort.

He is the Father of mercies.

And the people here who have been disciplined by His own hand

Are now approached by Him that He may now comfort them.

SO UNDERSTAND THE PURPOSE OF THE CHAPTER.

· It is not to confront.

· It is not to condemn.

· It is not to guilt or rub salt in the wound.

The purpose of the chapter is to comfort His people.

We also see in this chapter why this comfort is needed.

God’s people had fallen into despair.

(40:27) “Why do you say, O Jacob, and assert, O Israel, “My way is hidden from the Lord, And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God”?”

There you see the condition of these people.

· They had actually spoken this lament with their mouth.

· “My way is hidden from the LORD, and the justice due me escapes the notice of my God”

These people who were exiled to Babylon

· Had lamented that God no longer cared for them.

· They lamented that God no longer saw them in their affliction.

· They lamented that God would not do anything to vindicate them or bring justice to their situation.

Now, let’s discuss for a moment where this all came from.

TURN TO: 2 KINGS 25:1-12

There you read the historical account of Nebuchadnezzar’s sacking of Jerusalem.

· So for about 18 months Nebuchadnezzar surrounded the city to cut off supply

· By the end of that year and half the famine was so bad that city was penetrated.

· Zedekiah fled, but he was captured and they put out his eyes.

· Nebuchadnezzar came to Jerusalem and he burned the temple.

· He burned the king’s house and all the great houses of the city.

· They broke down the wall around Jerusalem.

· And those that survived were carried away to Babylon.

These exiles witnessed Nebuchadnezzar doing what they thought could not be done.

· He entered God’s city and burned down God’s temple and carried away God’s people.

The only explanation that the survivors could give was that

God has abandoned us.

In a sense they were correct, for Ezekiel actually saw

The glory of the LORD depart from the city.

We also gain great help in understanding their condition from the book of Lamentations.

TURN TO: LAMENTATIONS 2:1-10

· There all the horrors that occurred in Jerusalem are listed,

· But the credit for all of it is very directly given to God’s hand.

· God did this.

And now you have exiles in Babylon wondering if God

Has totally abandoned them and rejected them and forgotten them.

All Israel ever had on her side

· Was the presence of the God of the universe.

· They never had any other reason for their existence or continuation.

And now that it appears God has abandoned them,

They are in the pit of despair.

“My way is hidden from the LORD, And the justice due me escapes the notice of my God.”

But Isaiah 40 addresses the fallacy of that belief.

Isaiah 40 is written to extend comfort to the one who has fallen for that lie.

· Even in your suffering, your way is not hidden from God.

· Even in your injustice, God has not failed to notice.

· God does not abandon His people, ever.

· Discipline? Yes

· Suffering? Possibly

· Abandonment? Never

And so God writes here to offer consolation and comfort to His people.

And He does so by addressing THE REASON FOR THEIR DESPAIR.

And the simple point to explain why they are in despair is because

THEY HAVE FORGOTTEN WHO THEIR GOD IS.

If you want to fall into despair JUST FORGET who God is.

· Just forget who He is.

· Just forget what He does.

· Just forget what He says.

This was actually how the writer of Hebrews addressed those who suffered in his day.

Hebrews 12:4-6 “You have not yet resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin; and you have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord, Nor faint when you are reproved by Him; For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines, And He scourges every son whom He receives.”

They had “forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons”

· You have forgotten what God said about your trials.

Comfort comes when you remember that

God’s discipline does not reveal abandonment;

God’s discipline reveals sonship.

If God brings discipline into your life

· It is NOT BECAUSE He hates you and has kicked you to the curb,

· It IS BECAUSE He loves you and is being a Father to you.

And really, even just that one reality

Can bring such comfort to one who is suffering.

NOW, ISAIAH 40 DOES THE SAME.

It is written to comfort those who are in despair.

And the manner through with this comfort will come

Is in correcting their understanding of God.

In fact, verse 9 has the great statement, “Here is your God!”

When you remember correctly who He is,

It will change your attitude in the midst of your trials.

And Isaiah 40 seeks to remind these broken exiles of 3 things.

· His Promises (1-11)

· His Power (12-26)

· His Perseverance (27-31)

And incidentally, every one of these things

Is intricately linked to the gospel we enjoy in the New Testament.

Is. 40 is NOT just a reminder of God’s promises, power, & perseverance,

It IS a reminder of God’s promises, power, & perseverance in the gospel.

Isaiah 40 is a call to those in despair to remember the God of the gospel.

· Remember His gospel promises.

· Remember His gospel power.

· Remember His perseverance to bring about the realities of the gospel in our

lives.

And when you remember that, comfort comes with it.

So let’s start working on them, and may the result of these truths about God

Bring comfort to your heart as well.

#1 GOD’S PROMISES

Isaiah 40:1-11

Now, I want to break these 11 verses down a little further so as to more clearly see the specifics of this promise that they and we are called to remember.

1) THE COMFORT OF HIS PROMISES (1-2)

“Comfort, O comfort My people,” says your God. “Speak kindly to Jerusalem; And call out to her, that her warfare has ended, That her iniquity has been removed, That she has received of the Lord’s hand Double for all her sins.”

Obviously the message begins, as we said,

With God’s aim to bring “Comfort” to His people.

There we are confronted first with both THE AIM & THE AUDIENCE.

· This is NOT a universal passage to everyone in the world.

· This is NOT God’s intent that all men everywhere should grasp this comfort.

· This comfort is for those whom He calls, “My people”

That is not to say

· That sinners can’t become the people of God through repentance and faith, for certainly they can.

· His offer is open that “whosoever will call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

· That is available.

But it is only those who call upon His name and believe in Him

Who are His people and only they are the recipients of His comfort.

This is a promise made to His covenant people.

We see it is a promise made to those who are “in Jesus Christ”

And this is NO EMPTY WISH for the comfort of His people.

His comfort IS BASED ON A REALITY.

That reality is found in GOD’S PROMISE TO FORGIVE SIN.

(2) “Speak kindly to Jerusalem; And call out to her, that her warfare has ended, That her iniquity has been removed, That she has received of the Lord’s hand Double for all her sins.”

Now let’s first understand this verse from the perspective of those refugees who dwell in Babylon,

· Having felt the fury of God’s discipline by sending them to Babylon.

Why are they there?

As we saw in Lamentations, God sent them there.

They are being disciplined for their sin.

As part of the Mosaic covenant we learned that if they failed to obey all of God’s commands then one of the consequences was to be exiled to a foreign land.

Deuteronomy 28:30-37 “You shall betroth a wife, but another man will violate her; you shall build a house, but you will not live in it; you shall plant a vineyard, but you will not use its fruit. “Your ox shall be slaughtered before your eyes, but you will not eat of it; your donkey shall be torn away from you, and will not be restored to you; your sheep shall be given to your enemies, and you will have none to save you. “Your sons and your daughters shall be given to another people, while your eyes look on and yearn for them continually; but there will be nothing you can do. “A people whom you do not know shall eat up the produce of your ground and all your labors, and you will never be anything but oppressed and crushed continually. “You shall be driven mad by the sight of what you see. “The Lord will strike you on the knees and legs with sore boils, from which you cannot be healed, from the sole of your foot to the crown of your head. “The Lord will bring you and your king, whom you set over you, to a nation which neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you shall serve other gods, wood and stone. “You shall become a horror, a proverb, and a taunt among all the people where the Lord drives you.”

· The reason these exiles now live in Babylon…

· The reason the temple was burned…

· The reason the city was destroyed…

Is because God’s people sinned against God

And He has disciplined them to turn them from their sin.

And we saw how distraught they were at the reality of it.

They actually felt as though God has abandoned them.

But here Isaiah chimes in to say,

· “No! God has not abandoned you.”

· In fact, “God has forgiven you!”

· Your “warfare has ended”

· Your “iniquity has been removed”

· You have “received of the LORD’S hand double for all [your] sins.”

· The time of God’s discipline on you has ended.

· The time of your sanctification is complete.

· You have endured all that God would put you through.

Now the gospel DOES NOT PERMIT us to see this as justification,

As though they, through their own suffering, have now paid for their sins.

This, rather, is reference to them having been sufficiently disciplined

And now cleansed of the iniquity that sent them there.

You may remember that Jeremiah announced how long it would take:

Jeremiah 29:10 “For thus says the Lord, ‘When seventy years have been completed for Babylon, I will visit you and fulfill My good word to you, to bring you back to this place.”

Daniel, in the 67th year of the exile read that verse from Jeremiah and it prompted him to write the greatest prayer of repentance recorded anywhere in Scripture.

Daniel 9:1-3 “In the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, of Median descent, who was made king over the kingdom of the Chaldeans— in the first year of his reign, I, Daniel, observed in the books the number of the years which was revealed as the word of the Lord to Jeremiah the prophet for the completion of the desolations of Jerusalem, namely, seventy years. So I gave my attention to the Lord God to seek Him by prayer and supplications, with fasting, sackcloth and ashes.”

He prays a great prayer which we don’t have time to go through this morning, but it culminates here:

Daniel 9:17-19 “So now, our God, listen to the prayer of Your servant and to his supplications, and for Your sake, O Lord, let Your face shine on Your desolate sanctuary. “O my God, incline Your ear and hear! Open Your eyes and see our desolations and the city which is called by Your name; for we are not presenting our supplications before You on account of any merits of our own, but on account of Your great compassion. “O Lord, hear! O Lord, forgive! O Lord, listen and take action! For Your own sake, O my God, do not delay, because Your city and Your people are called by Your name.”

Daniel actually does there

What Isaiah hopes the exiles will do upon reading Isaiah 40.

Daniel, from a position of discipline,

Takes the promise of God’s restoration

And finds comfort in the fact that God forgives sinners.

AND THAT IS THE INITIAL PURPOSE OF THIS TEXT.

· To take those, who are under God’s discipline,

· And to remind them of this gospel truth that God forgives His children

· So that they do not lose heart.

That is what we call – GOOD NEWS!

DO YOU UNDERSTAND THAT ABOUT GOD?

That even if your trial is a direct result of your sins,

(And sometimes they are.)

That even then God forgives His own.

So maybe you did something sinful and you know that you are getting what you deserve from God.

Where do you find hope in that?

In this truth: GOD FORGIVES SINNERS

Exodus 34:6-7 “Then the Lord passed by in front of him and proclaimed, “The Lord, the Lord God, compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, and abounding in lovingkindness and truth; who keeps lovingkindness for thousands, who forgives iniquity, transgression and sin; yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished, visiting the iniquity of fathers on the children and on the grandchildren to the third and fourth generations.”

Leviticus 26:44-45 “Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, nor will I so abhor them as to destroy them, breaking My covenant with them; for I am the Lord their God. ‘But I will remember for them the covenant with their ancestors, whom I brought out of the land of Egypt in the sight of the nations, that I might be their God. I am the Lord.’”

Psalms 86:5 “For You, Lord, are good, and ready to forgive, And abundant in lovingkindness to all who call upon You.”

Psalms 130:3-4 “If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? But there is forgiveness with You, That You may be feared.”

GOD FORGIVES SINNERS (HOW MUCH MORE HIS CHILDREN).

· He is patient and longsuffering and kind.

· He does punish sinners.

· He does bring discipline.

· He does sanctify.

· But He also forgives.

And certainly when God took on human flesh and dwelled among us

We saw the most complete revelation of God the world has ever known.

Jesus “explained Him”

And in Jesus we saw forgiveness.

We think of the paralytic:

Matthew 9:2 “And they brought to Him a paralytic lying on a bed. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralytic, “Take courage, son; your sins are forgiven.”

We think of the woman with a horrible reputation:

Luke 7:48 “Then He said to her, “Your sins have been forgiven.”

We think of His promise at the Last Supper:

Matthew 26:28 “for this is My blood of the covenant, which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins.”

We think of His statement on the cross:

Luke 23:34 “But Jesus was saying, “Father, forgive them; for they do not know what they are doing.” And they cast lots, dividing up His garments among themselves.”

His apostles certainly understood the purpose for which He came and the heart with which He operated.

And when they went out into the world they preached:

Acts 10:43 “Of Him all the prophets bear witness that through His name everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins.”

Acts 13:38 “Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through Him forgiveness of sins is proclaimed to you,”

When people believed their message, those same apostles then wrote to the churches to give them comfort by reminding them of these great promises:

Colossians 1:14 “in [Jesus] we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

Colossians 2:13 “When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,”

And based on those realities you even have the apostles looking directly at you in the church and giving you these undeniable promises:

1 John 1:9 “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

1 John 2:12 “I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake.”

And I think certainly you get the point.

“Weeping may last through the night, but joy comes in the morning.”

OUR GOD HAS PROMISED TO FORGIVE US.

So do you find yourself in despair?

· Do you find yourself perhaps even under God’s discipline?

· Do you look at life’s circumstances and wonder if God has abandoned you completely?

If you have fallen into that pit

It is because you have forgotten this first gospel promise.

God forgives sinners, how much more His children.

He is never far away.

His discipline is temporary.

His forgiveness is promised.

Jesus Christ hung upon the cross

With the sin of His people imputed to His account

And He paid the price in full for that sin.

And based upon what He did, there is forgiveness.

Romans 8:1 “Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”

“Comfort, O comfort My people,” says your God.”

It comes to us like a gentle mother.

The dad has just severely disciplined us for our sin.

And every kid at that moment has the thought:

· “I guess they don’t love me anymore.”

· “My parents hate me.”

· “I think I’ll run away.”

It is then that our mother comes in and comforts us that we are loved.

We are loved and we are forgiven.

THAT IS GOD.

And Isaiah reminds God’s people of that promise here.

· While God is angry at the wicked every day.

· While God does have wrath for those in rebellion.

· For His people He has forgiveness.

Take a deep breath there church.

God has and does and will forgive you.

The comfort of His promises

2) THE CONTENT OF HIS PROMISES (3-5)

“A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God. “Let every valley be lifted up, And every mountain and hill be made low; And let the rough ground become a plain, And the rugged terrain a broad valley; Then the glory of the Lord will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

· We have started the book of Romans with the youth on Wednesday nights.

· We actually have the write up about it in the bulletin this morning.

If you want to sum up the gospel in one concise sentence, it is this:

“The gospel is the person and work of Jesus Christ.”

JESUS IS THE CONTENT

Isaiah next comforts us with the promise of a coming Savior.

verse 5, “Then the glory of the LORD will be revealed, And all flesh will see it together; For the mouth of the LORD has spoken.”

God’s glorious reigning King and certified Savior is coming!

He is coming to reveal “the glory of the LORD”

Jesus is the content of the promises of God.

2 Corinthians 1:20 “For as many as are the promises of God, in Him they are yes; therefore also through Him is our Amen to the glory of God through us.”

He is the subject of what God has been promising.

· One to crush the serpent’s head.

· One who will come and give us rest.

· One who will be our ark to carry us through the judgment.

· The seed of Abraham through whom all will be blessed.

· Our Melchizedek who is both priest and King.

· A prophet greater than Moses.

· The giant slayer who delivers His people.

· The One who will shut the lion’s mouth.

· The One who will deliver us from the burning flames.

God has promised to send Him,

· Born of a virgin,

· Of the line of David,

· In Bethlehem,

· Seated on a donkey’s colt,

· Pierced in His hands and feet,

· But not able to undergo decay.

· Returning to reign over a kingdom of perfect justice

· He will trample His enemies under foot

· He will save His people

Isaiah 35:3-10 “Encourage the exhausted, and strengthen the feeble. Say to those with anxious heart, “Take courage, fear not. Behold, your God will come with vengeance; The recompense of God will come, But He will save you.” Then the eyes of the blind will be opened And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped. Then the lame will leap like a deer, And the tongue of the mute will shout for joy. For waters will break forth in the wilderness And streams in the Arabah. The scorched land will become a pool And the thirsty ground springs of water; In the haunt of jackals, its resting place, Grass becomes reeds and rushes. A highway will be there, a roadway, And it will be called the Highway of Holiness. The unclean will not travel on it, But it will be for him who walks that way, And fools will not wander on it. No lion will be there, Nor will any vicious beast go up on it; These will not be found there. But the redeemed will walk there, And the ransomed of the Lord will return And come with joyful shouting to Zion, With everlasting joy upon their heads. They will find gladness and joy, And sorrow and sighing will flee away.”

And isn’t that what a refugee wants to hear?

Take comfort, God has forgiven you and the King is one His way to save you!

News like that is the source of comfort for all who are in despair.

WE ARE OUT OF TIME THIS MORNING,

But I hope you are seeing how to overcome the despair of this life.

Don’t forget the promises of God.

As His child, in Christ Jesus,

· You are forgiven,

· And He is coming to save you!

We’ll pick back up with this tonight.