Exposition by Max A Forsythe
Years ago when I was barracks NCO at Fort Knox, I was awakened one weekend morning after payday by the cackling of a hen in the barracks. Since some of the privates were laughing up a storm at our unexpected guest, I ordered them to catch the stray and pen her up. It was a real treat to watch the city slickers chase that hen up and over the bunks. For a Saturday morning they sounded like a herd of elephants. They even woke up the drunks who had somehow kidnapped the chicken and brought her home. Of course the guilty parties had no idea where they had been the night before or where to return her. They even bragged about getting the chicken drunk the night before, which explained why she slept so late! Then an argument broke out over who should have the egg that was found on the empty bunk where she had slept. It was regular events like this that caused me to really earn my stripes, as the saying goes. In Europe where I was ;later stationed, the job of keeping the troops sober was even more challenging. Providentially, that was not my problem over there.
In a like manner is the ongoing work of bringing an education to a younger generation that would prefer any activity what-so-ever to the drudgery of learning. More and more we are hearing from our charges that they are bored to tears, yet many will not engage their minds to even simple tasks. Even the first rate entertainers find their challenge in the classroom more than they had expected. As one seasoned teacher expressed it, she would like to reach out and touch someone, almost anyone in the class - with a two-by-four!
Now you know where Isaiah is coming from as he reveals the heart and mind of our Lord God Almighty. Zion, God’s church, is in danger. As both of my commentators report it, the awakening cry here is one to sober up those who are drunk with sin. Derek Thomas observes that in Isaiah’s time, the church was as close to death as possible. Still, God has it in mind to revive and reform her. Revival, as we ought to know, is the bringing back of the church from death. But many might say that there was nothing wrong with the temple worship of Isaiah’s time. In the same way would many declare that there is nothing wrong with the church today either. Perhaps it is well that we recognize that, just as the person who thinks he has reached perfection shows certain evidence that he has not; in the same way, whenever the church thinks that it has arrived, it obviously has not.
The sin of pride has an effect as strong as alcohol or any other addictive substance. And God’s elect very easily fall into this particular sin. Whenever this sin infects the multitude of the faithful, God must discipline His church to remind her that without Him, the Church is nothing. Is that not the major problem of this century’s Church? In an age where the secularists have announced the death of God, it is not surprising that many denominations have announced that the Church can do just as well with a social gospel as it can with the gospel of grace.
Until recent decades it was assumed that the Church of Christ had almost triumphed. Every village had several spires lording it over the community. Prosperous suburban congregations financed large and busy buildings. But no one noticed that the fire had gone out in the furnace. Years ago, one pastor of a large edifice in Springfield, Ohio, noted that it took well over two thirds of the budget just to heat their cathedral. And his congregation was shrinking, just as are many congregations in our day and age. But what is the dangerous nature of this shrink?
Shrink - now there is a word. When we first started Sherry’s business, we were warned that most difficulties of doing business had to do with failure of paying taxes or in controlling shrink. Shrink in the business sense is spoilage or loss of assets. In the “business” of Christ’s Church (if you will excuse the term), critical shrink involves a loss of knowledge of the Holy God who we are to worship and obey. This is the point that Isaiah quickly gets to in these short verses. After he calls the church to wake up from its drunken stupor, he encourages her to clean up, put on new clothes, dust the house well, and the Lord will throw out the pagan house guests. “Take off your chains”, He tells Zion. But Zion may not even realize they are in the chains of sin.
In verses three to five the Lord describes their sordid past and present. Once they went down to Egypt and had to be rescued. Now they are under the heavy hand of Assyria and will be taken away by Babylon. Yet, the Lord received nothing for Zion. He was not paid, and He will redeem them without monetary cost. Those who have been taken away for nothing are ruled by the pagans who mock the God of Zion. To this blasphemy God has constantly been subjected. Lately I have had to deal with blasphemous statements by ignorant pagans who have no idea what they are doing. Yet, even if they might be persuaded to understand what they have done, it is doubtful if these pagans would change their attitude or habits. But we are more fortunate. Look at the promise of verse six. “Therefore my people will know my name”. When they are returned from Babylon, they will know who foretold their future.
As we move to the second section of our text today, we may little note a literary connection between the two parts. However, as Dr Young observes, that which is promised earlier is here represented as being fulfilled. The message here is one of salvation, and it is thankfulness for that word which is blessed more than the messenger himself. This word is threefold in its blessings, as we shall see. First, the messenger causes peace to be heard. The peace in question is not the mere absence of war, but the peace of knowing the Lord as our God. Second, the messenger proclaims a message that is good in its blessing of salvation for sinful mankind. Finally, the messenger causes salvation to be understood.
This is far more than the mere announcement of Zion’s delivery from captivity. The message indeed is summarized in the last phrase of verse seven: “Your God reigns!” Dr Young observes that this is the same message of the New Testament that “The Kingdom of God is at hand”. God is indeed king, a simple message, but how many people will admit to it today or in the time of Isaiah? God is sovereign, He is in control of events and everything that comes to pass will do so by His own hand. This is the message that Cotton Mather pressed upon his generation: “The great design ... of a Christian preacher [is] to restore the throne and dominion of God in the souls of men.”
“Your God reigns” is the essential message of Isaiah’s text. One day the watchmen will see Him coming, and when He comes will burst into song. The very stones of the city streets may cry out if the people of God will not. The cause of such joyous shouting and singing is the comfort and redemption of Jerusalem. On that great day of His coming, “the Lord will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations.” To the ends of the earth will His salvation be known.
Verse eleven calls Israel to come out of Babylon, and as they return the utensils of the Temple to Jerusalem they prepare themselves for the duty. So must we cleanse ourselves as we prepare our hearts to bring the gospel of truth to our own generation. Now we do not have to fall all over ourselves or hurriedly attempt to bring His kingdom in. Certainly we must be diligent in our calling, and we must study God’s word to prepare ourselves for ministry, but we must remember that we are about His business. And He is on the throne and He is reigning still. He will go before us just as He went before the Jewish exiles in their great going home from Babylon. Our duty is the same as that of the people of Judea. And that duty is to announce that He is indeed the sovereign Lord of this His creation. May we be convinced of that calling and may we be strengthened for the task of proclaiming His plan of salvation. Amen.
Resources Used:
Ellis, Charles..
The Wells of Salvation.
Thomas, Derek..
Welwyn Commentery Series: God Delivers.
Young, Edward J.
The Book of Isaiah.
The Holy Bible.
New International Version (1984 Edition)
NOTE: I am not able to automatically
recommend any future editions.
Christ Covenant Reformed (Presbyterian Church in America) -
Box 13926 - Columbus, OH 43213
(c) 2001
06 November 1994
Permission granted to redistribute unedited versions with this notice.