Isaiah 62:1

For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem's sake will I not rest, until the righteousness thereof goes forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burns. The Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory. You shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name. Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God. Thou shalt no more be termed forsaken. Neither shall the land be termed desolate, but you shall be called Hephzibah, and thy land Beulah. For the Lord delights in thee, and thy land shall be married.

Father, as we look into your word, we do pray for wisdom and understanding. We ask that you would guide us in all truth and teach us all things. Holy Spirit, we long to know you more through your word. Lord, we pray that you would reveal yourself to us as we study. God, may we draw near to you through the study of your word tonight. Transform us more and more into the image of your Son, that we would shine bright wherever we go. Just as we read in this passage, the righteousness of your people is to shine so that the world shall see. Lord, may that be the case in my life, in the lives of my brothers and sisters, and in the lives of our church. We pray in Jesus' name, for we all pray saying, Amen. You can be seated.

God's desire, as we see it here in Isaiah chapter 62, and His design for His people, is that they would be a shining light of righteousness to the nations of the world. Isaiah chapter 1, however, reveals that this was not the case for the children of Israel in Isaiah's day. They were not shining forth the righteousness of God. In Isaiah 1:21, God, speaking through His prophet, says,

How has the faithful city become a harlot? It was full of righteousness and judgment. Righteousness lodged in it, but now there are murderers. Your silver has become dross, and your wine is mixed with water. Your princes are rebellious and companions of thieves. Everyone loves gifts and bribes and follows after rewards. They do not judge the fatherless, nor does the cause of the widow come before them.

Because of rebellion and sin, God's chosen people had become defiled, and they were far from shining righteousness. But that was what God called them to. That was God's intended plan for the children of Israel: that they would be a nation of priests, a nation that brightly shone God's grace, mercy, peace, and righteousness. God promises to continue to pursue His backslidden people. We have been seeing that as we have gone through the book of Isaiah for quite a while now. We're nearing the end, but we have seen how God constantly reaches out to His people, calling them to return to Him, to turn from their backsliding, and to follow after Him. He desires that they would once again be established as that nation that shines forth to the rest of the world.

Unfortunately, we know that this would not be the case for the children of Israel during the time of Isaiah. They continued to harden their hearts and turn their backs toward the Lord. Ultimately, about 150 years after the bulk of Isaiah's ministry, these same people would go into exile in Babylon because of their sin. Yet, He would continue to call out to them, urging them to return to Him. His plan and desire were that they would shine brightly, not just to be a glorious people, but to be a bright shining people to the rest of the world.

We see this in verse 2. God's desire was that their righteousness would go forth as brightness and their salvation as a lamp that burns. Verse 2 states, "And the Gentiles shall see your righteousness, and all the kings your glory. And you shall be called by a new name, which the mouth of the Lord shall name." From the first calling of their father Abraham back in Genesis chapter 12, this was God's plan for His people: that they would be blessed so that they would be a blessing to all nations. In Genesis chapter 12, verse 3, when He called Abraham, He said, "I’m going to bless you, and you shall be a blessing, and in you shall all the nations of the earth be blessed." That was the purpose and the plan. Again, they were to be a people of priests, bringing the light of God to this dark world.

But they failed at that. Largely, they still fail at that to this day. To this day, Israel fails to apprehend the very thing that God apprehended them for. He called them for this specific purpose: to be priests to the rest of the world, to shine brightly to the world.

Now, in Romans chapter 11, in Paul's letter to the church at Rome, he makes it very clear that there is coming a day when the Lord will fulfill His work in the people of Israel, the children of Israel. He still has a plan for Israel. In fact, Paul says to the church, do not be ignorant of this truth: that God has a plan and will fulfill His purpose for them. Currently, there is a remnant of the children of Israel who follow after the Lord and shine brightly, but it is just a very small remnant.

This is exactly what we have been seeing in the book of Isaiah since Isaiah chapter 6. Back in Isaiah chapter 6, God told the prophet Isaiah, "I want you to preach to this people, and for the most part, they are going to rebel and backslide, but there will be a remnant that returns." Still to this day, there is a small remnant of people who are descendants of Abraham. They are Jews by blood who follow Jesus as Messiah. We call them Messianic Christians today, and they are fulfilling the purpose to which God called them.

However, for the most part, the nation of Israel has failed to be the bright light that God has called them to be. The book of Revelation reveals that there is coming a day when they will, in large mass, turn to the Lord. Zechariah also talks about that in his prophecies, and they will be a bright shining light in the end of the age.

As a result of Israel's failure to do God's work and to shine God's light in a dark world, God has called the church to fulfill that purpose during this period of history. In 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 9, God, speaking to His church through the apostle Peter, says to the church, those that are in Christ, "You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people."

What is our purpose, being God's chosen generation, God's royal priesthood, God's special people? Well, 1 Peter chapter 2, verse 9, says that you, church, should show forth the praises of Him who called you out of darkness and into His marvelous light. That is what God has called us to: the very same thing that He had originally intended for the nation of Israel to do—to shine God's light in a dark world.

He now says to the church, "I'm calling you to be my priest to this world, to proclaim the praises of him who called you out of darkness and into his marvelous light." We were once not a people, but now we are the people of God, as stated in 1 Peter, chapter 2, verse 10. The very next verse says, "Which in time past you were not a people, but now you are the people of God, which had not obtained mercy, but now you have obtained mercy."

We have obtained mercy from the Lord. Whereas we should have received his judgment because of our sin, we have received his mercy and his grace. Now, through his mercy and his grace, he has called us to shine brightly into a dark world. This is the very same thing that God bestowed upon the children of Israel. They were sinners just like any other people. When God called Abraham, he was serving false gods. Yet, God called him and gave him grace and mercy so that he would shine brightly.

God has extended mercy and grace to you and me, and he has given us a commission to fulfill. In Matthew, chapter 5, verse 16, Jesus is speaking to his disciples during the Sermon on the Mount. He says to those who are followers of him, "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven." That is the purpose to which we have been called, church: to shine brightly in this dark world so that people would see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven.

We are not to glorify ourselves, but to glorify him because of the work that he has done in and through us. We must learn from the failures of the children of Israel in the Old Testament so that we walk in a way that is right and glorifies the Lord in our day. This is why we spend time studying the Old Testament. Some people today in churches may say, "Well, we're New Testament believers, so we don't need the Old Testament." Not so.

The Apostle Paul, in 1 Corinthians, chapter 10, says, "All these things," speaking about the Old Testament, "were written for our admonition and instruction upon whom the ends of the age have come." All of it has been recorded for us to learn from because we are living in the last days. We are in that period of history where God desires that we shine brightly for him as the church.

So, let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven. That is the purpose to which we have been called. We are to go throughout the whole world and shine that light in dark places. It would be foolish for a city like Escondido to take every single streetlight that they have...

In their municipality, they plan to put all the street lights in one park. We're going to congregate all the street lights in Grape Day Park. It's going to be the most well-lit park in all the world. That would be foolish, wouldn't it? The city knows that they need to scatter those street lights throughout the city and place them in areas where there are accidents and dark corners where people sometimes get hit by cars. You put them in the dark places where they'll shine and do the best good.

You may think that the workplace you are in is just the darkest environment ever, but have you not noticed that God has placed you there for a specific purpose—to shine His light brightly? God scatters us throughout His kingdom to shine His light. That's what He wanted to do with the children of Israel, and He still desires to do that.

We see this in Isaiah chapter 62. The prophecies of Isaiah 62 and 63 are yet to be fulfilled for the most part, which means God still has a plan for the children of Israel. "For Zion's sake will I not hold my peace," He says, "and for Jerusalem's sake I will not rest until the righteousness thereof goes forth as brightness." God continues to call out to them and plead with them to turn to Him so that they would shine with righteousness.

In verse 2, He says, "Thy righteousness, thy glory," and the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory. You shall be called by a new name which the mouth of the Lord shall name. Gentiles will one day see Israel glorified with God's righteousness. However, as we saw last week in Isaiah chapter 61, it will be a righteousness that is from the Lord, not their own righteousness.

We do not stand in our own righteousness. We will see that next week in Isaiah chapter 64, verse 6, where it says, "We are all an unclean thing, and all our righteousness is as filthy rags." All of our good works and efforts to manufacture righteousness are filthy before God's righteousness. It might be good among men; if you compare my righteousness to the works of others in this world, you might say, "Yeah, you're a pretty righteous person." But when you take all my good works and place them next to God's righteousness, they look like filthy rags to Him.

If we are going to shine with righteousness, it must be shining with His righteousness. Remember Isaiah 61, verse 10 from last week: "I will greatly rejoice in the Lord."

My soul shall be joyful in my God. Why? For He has clothed me with the garments of salvation, and He has covered me with the robe of righteousness. That's where true joy and rejoicing come from, when you recognize that you are clothed in the righteousness of God.

Studying through the New Testament, especially the Gospels, you'll notice that during the time Jesus came to His people in the land of Israel, the religious people of the day were standing in their own righteousness. The Pharisees were looked up to by the people as being good, holy, and righteous, but it was their own righteousness, and it was only on the outside. Jesus called them whitewashed tombs when He spoke to them in Matthew chapter 23. He said, "You look good on the outside, but inside you're full of dead men's bones and corruption."

He would tell His disciples in Matthew chapter 5, verse 20, "Except your righteousness is greater than that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will in no way get into the kingdom of heaven." Our righteousness must exceed that of the religious people of the world because it has to be a righteousness that is from God. Clothed in His righteousness, that's where we find joy and rejoice. I greatly rejoice in my God; my soul shall be joyful in Him.

God says that He is one day going to glorify His people once again, the children of Israel, with His righteousness, and that they would be called by a new name. Israel's restoration will come, and they will be called by this new name, but it's not necessarily a different name than Israel. They will no longer be called the forsaken city or the divorced land.

Look down in verse 4 of Isaiah chapter 62: "You shall no more be termed forsaken. Neither shall your land be any more called desolate." Then down in verse 12, "And they shall call them the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord. And you shall be called sought out, a city not forsaken."

So it's not that God is going to stop calling them Israel or the children of Abraham. He says, "You will no longer be called forsaken. You will no longer be called desolate." In verse 3, He adds, "You shall also be a crown of glory in the hand of the Lord and a royal diadem in the hand of your God." Once they were cast off as a dirty thing, but they are going to be restored, says the Lord. They are going to be honored as a righteous and glorious crown.

In the hand of the Lord, many Bible teachers have wondered why it says that there will be a crown or a diadem, which is another word for crown, in the hand of the Lord and not worn on the head of the Lord. Why does Isaiah see them as just this treasure in the hand of the Lord? The idea is that they are a restored treasure, being returned back to the Lord. They sold themselves to other false gods and to things that were against God. God says there is coming a day when He will glorify them again, and they will be a special treasure unto Him.

Not only is Israel seen as restored and given a new name, becoming a glorious treasure, but they are no longer considered forsaken and desolate. Back in Isaiah chapter 49, you may remember that they accused God of forsaking them. In Isaiah chapter 49, verse 14, it says, "But Zion, they said, 'The Lord has forsaken me and the Lord has forgotten me.'" The reality was not that God had forsaken them, but that they had forsaken Him.

All the way back in the very first chapter, Isaiah chapter 1, verse 4, God said, "Ah, sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, the seed of evildoers, children that are corruptors. They have forsaken the Lord, and they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, and they have gone away backward." They accused God of forsaking them, but the reality was that they had forsaken Him. The result of their forsaking the Lord was that they had become desolate. Isaiah chapter 1, verse 7 says, "Your country is desolate. Your cities are burned with fire. Your land strangers devour in your presence, and it is desolate and overthrown by strangers."

The nation of Israel, during the time that Isaiah prophesied to them, was a nation that was desolate. It had been destroyed by all these enemies that had come in and taken over. The reason that it was a desolate land was that they departed from the Lord; they had forsaken Him. Now, we can apply that to our own nation today.

We wonder why our own nation is going through the troubles that it is and why it is experiencing the desolation that it is. I would suggest that one of the reasons is that we, as a people, have forsaken the Lord. We have it written on all of our money, "In God We Trust." But the reality is that for the last fifty or so years, we've actually trusted in the money and not in God.

We are constantly asking, "God bless America!" However, if we want to see the blessing of God upon our nation, we need to be a people who bless Him. Instead, we've told Him to take a hike. We want nothing to do with Him in the public square, in education, in schools, or in the media. We want nothing to do with Him, and yet we want His blessing.

I would suggest that Israel and Judah in the seventh and eighth centuries BC, during the time in which Isaiah prophesied to them, faced the very same situation. They wanted the blessings that God would give to them, but they did not want to bless and serve Him. They had forsaken Him, and that is why they were desolate.

But God promises that there will come a day, still yet future, when His people will be glorified once again. They will be clothed in His righteousness and called by a new name. They will no longer be called forsaken or desolate, but He says, "You will be called Hefzabah." What in the world does Hefzabah mean? It means "My Delight." God says, "I’m going to call you the one that I delight in once again."

And then there is Beulah. Remember, they had accused God of divorcing them. God says, "There is coming a day when I will delight in you and be married to you once again." And so shall God rejoice over you. God's desire is that His people would bring Him joy, that they would be the rejoicing of His heart.

Revelation 4:11 makes it very clear that you and I were created for the pleasure of God. People often wonder, "Why did God create man?" Some say God created man so that He could have a relationship. No, God is a united relational being. He does not need man for friendship; He created man to bring Him pleasure.

You may say, "Well, that sounds odd." Have any of you ever had sort of an artistic flair? Have any of you ever wanted to create something merely because it brings you pleasure to do so?

Once you've painted a picture or redesigned a room, you look upon that creation, and it brings you joy and pleasure. We do that constantly in our lives. That's because that's the way God is. He created us to bring Him joy, rejoicing, and pleasure. Yet, His creation has turned against Him. The forefront of His creation, the greatest part of His creation, that which He bestowed the most time in creating—man, made in His image—has turned from Him. As a result of man's sin, the whole of creation has fallen into sin.

However, there is coming a day of rejoicing once again. There is coming a day of restoration. God says, "I will rejoice in you as a man rejoices in the wife of his youth." He has set watchmen, as stated in verse 6, upon thy walls, O Jerusalem, who shall never hold their peace, day nor night. "You that make mention of the Lord, keep not silence, and give Him no rest till He establishes, until He makes Jerusalem a praise in the earth."

God has called and set watchmen to cry out in intercessory prayer to Him day and night, continually throughout the ages, to cry out on behalf of Jerusalem. As the psalmist says in Psalm 122, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem, for they shall prosper that love thee." There is that call of the psalmist: "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem." Here, God says, "I have positioned throughout the whole world these watchmen over my people, over my land, over Jerusalem, and they cry out to me continually." They shall never hold their peace, day and night. They may make mention of the Lord; they do not keep silence. They give Him no rest until He establishes.

Now, God has already promised that He will restore, that He will bring about this glorious restoration. Yet, He tells us to continually cry out to Him until He fulfills that work. In the Gospel of Luke, you may remember, and I believe it's in Luke chapter 11, when Jesus is teaching His disciples how to pray. He tells them the story about a man who goes to sleep, gets all his family in bed, and then hears a knock at the door. It's his neighbor saying, "Give me some bread, give me some food."

I have had visitors come to my house, and I need to set something before them. One time, a man was in his house, and he said, "Just go away; I can't help you. I've already laid down to go to sleep." But the man kept knocking, saying, "I need your help. Come, give me some bread for my friends who have come."

Jesus explains that the man will not open the door because he is his neighbor or his friend, but he will open because of his importunity. He will open because the man keeps knocking. Finally, the homeowner gets so tired of hearing the knocking that he gets up and says, "Fine, here, here's what you need."

Jesus applies this in the very next verses of Luke chapter 11, specifically verses 9 and 10. He says, "You ask, seek, and knock." In prayer, we are to do this constantly. He who asks shall receive, and he who seeks shall find, and to him who knocks, it shall be opened. Jesus tells His disciples to keep asking, to keep seeking, and to keep knocking.

God has made promises in His Word, promises that perhaps we haven't laid hold of. Maybe we haven't claimed those promises tonight because we have not asked, or we have asked and then stopped asking. The Lord says, "I want you to keep asking until I fulfill My Word. I made a promise, and now I want you to ask."

God has promised to come and establish His kingdom here upon the earth, to restore Jerusalem—not as a physical kingdom that will dominate all the rest of the kingdoms of the world, but to establish His kingdom, His rule, and His reign here on earth. He has promised that one day He will do that. Yet, He calls you and me in Matthew chapter 6 to pray, "Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

He wants us to daily ask Him to establish His kingdom. Even though He has already told us He will, He desires our involvement in the establishment of that kingdom through prayer. He instructs us to pray in this manner: "Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name. Your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven."

Somewhere in the sovereignty of God is this desire for us to be involved in His plan through prayer. It is a phenomenal thing to me that we have the opportunity and ability to move God by prayer. He speaks about the watchmen over Jerusalem who pray day and night, crying out continually.

For Him to establish, to make Jerusalem a praise in the earth, God will fulfill His word. There is coming a day when God will answer this request, and Jerusalem will become a praise in the earth.

Now, today, what is it? November 3rd, 2010. Israel is not a praise in the earth. In fact, it's more like what Zechariah says in Zechariah chapter 12. It is a cup of trembling to all people. That's what it's like. In Zechariah chapter 12, He says that Jerusalem is going to be like this in the last days. This is one of the indications we are living in the last days: Jerusalem has become a cup of trembling to the whole world. Everybody is trying to figure out what to do with this Jerusalem.

However, there is coming a day during the millennial reign of Christ when Jerusalem will be a praise in all the earth. All the nations of the earth will gather together at Jerusalem, not to attack that city, but to worship God. Look at Isaiah chapter 2, verse 2. It shall come to pass in the last days that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established at the top of the mountains and shall be exalted above the hills, and all the nations shall flow unto it. Many people shall go and say, "Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob." He, personally and physically, will teach us His ways, and we will walk in His paths. For out of Zion shall go forth the law and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

There is coming a day when Jerusalem will no longer be a cup of trembling to the world, but it will be a praise in all the earth. But that's not going to be until Jesus, the King of kings, the Lord of lords, the Prince of peace, rules and reigns here upon the earth. That's why He tells us, Church, to pray, "Your kingdom come, Lord." We are praying that You will come and establish Jerusalem as a praise in all the earth.

Well, back to chapter 62, verse 8. The Lord has sworn by His right hand and by the arm of His strength, "Surely I will no more give thy corn to be meat for thine enemies, and the sons of the strangers shall not drink thy wine for the which thou hast labored. But they that have gathered it shall eat it and praise the Lord, and they that have brought it together shall drink it."

In the courts of My holiness, the Lord has sworn by His right hand. The Lord has sworn by the arm of His strength. God swears by Himself because He can swear by no other. There is no one greater than God, so He makes a covenant, a declaration by His own name and by His own strength, that He will bring this to pass. We see similar words used in Isaiah 45, verse 23: "I have sworn by Myself," says the Lord. In Hebrews chapter 6, the author of the book of Hebrews states that when God made a promise to Abraham, because He could swear by no one greater, He swore by Himself.

God makes a declaration: "By My name," He says, "I will do this thing." What will He do? He swears that when Jerusalem becomes a praise in all the earth, it will no longer be plundered. Surely, He says, "I will no more give your corn, your growth, your harvest, as meals to your enemies. The sons of the stranger shall not drink your wine, which you have labored for." This, to me, is as much a promise of God's protection for His people, the children of Israel, as it is a prophecy of Israel's future devotion to the Lord.

In the book of Deuteronomy, specifically in the last several chapters, God stated that one of the curses that would come upon the children of Israel because of their disobedience is that they would be plundered by their enemies for their substance. Every single year, when they would harvest their corn, wheat, and barley, their enemies would come and steal it away from them due to their disobedience to the Lord. Deuteronomy chapter 28 speaks about that. Throughout their history, especially during the time of the judges, this is exactly what you see. When Israel would disobey and turn against God, their enemies would come and consume all of their substance. It was a result of their sin.

But God says there is coming a day when the plunderers will no longer come and take away their fruitfulness. God will protect them. If that plundering is gone in the future, it indicates that they are once again fully and completely devoted to the Lord, and God, therefore, protects His people. Continuing on, in verse 10 of Isaiah chapter 62, He says, "Go through, go through the gates, prepare ye the way."

Of the people, cast up, cast up the highway. Gather out the stones and lift up the standard for the people. Behold, the Lord has proclaimed unto the end of the world. Say ye to the daughter of Zion, "Behold, thy salvation comes." Behold, His reward is with Him, and His work is before Him.

God calls to His people to prepare the way for the coming of this blessed promise. He has promised them that Jerusalem will be established, that it will become a praise in all the world, that they will no longer be plundered, that they will receive a new name, and they will no longer be desolate or forsaken. They will have righteousness from their God.

Now, in verse 10, He says, "I want you to prepare the way. Get ready for this promise to be fulfilled. Make the way straight. Lift up the banner and get ready. Your salvation is coming." Make sure the road is ready and the gates are open so that salvation can enter in.

Notice that He says salvation is not a thing; it is a person. Behold, the Lord has proclaimed unto the end of the world. Say to the daughter of Zion, "Behold, thy salvation comes." Behold, His reward is with Him, and His work is before Him. The salvation mentioned there in verse 11 is a He and not an it. So, who do you think that salvation is? Jesus, absolutely. He, salvation, is coming.

When He comes, Isaiah says, "His reward is with Him and His work is before Him." We saw almost the exact same words used back in Isaiah chapter 40. Turn there just for a moment.

In Isaiah chapter 40, verse 9, it says, "O Zion, that brings forth good tidings, get thee up into a high mountain. O Jerusalem, that brings good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength. Lift it up. Be not afraid. Say to the cities of Judah, 'Behold, your God.' Behold, the Lord God will come with a strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him. Behold, His reward is with Him and His work before Him. He shall feed His flock like a shepherd. He shall gather the lambs with His arm and carry them in His bosom. And He shall gently lead those."

Isaiah chapter 40 pictures salvation coming and the Messiah arriving. It reveals that before the Messiah comes, there would be a forerunner. This is speaking about Jesus' first coming, and we know that the forerunner, the one who would go before Jesus, was John the Baptist. He came preparing the way of the Lord. Isaiah chapter 40, verses 3 through 5, speak about that.

When the Messiah came the first time, as we read in Isaiah 40, verse 11, He came to do what? He came to feed His flock, to gather His lambs, and to gently lead them. John chapter 10 reveals that Jesus is the good shepherd. When He came the first time, that is exactly what He came to do. However, He is coming a second time, and we are to prepare the way for His return.

When He comes the second time, as we see in Isaiah chapter 62, He is coming, and His work is before Him, and His reward is with Him. He is coming to reward His people for their work, which is exactly what we see in the book of Revelation. Revelation chapter 22, verse 12 states, "Behold, I come quickly." Jesus is speaking, saying, "Behold, I come quickly, and my reward is with me to give to every man according to his work." There is coming a day when Jesus will return for the second time. The first time He came to feed His flocks, to gather His lambs, and to gently lead them. The second time, He is coming to inspect the work and give rewards to the workers.

You may remember the parable of the talents in Matthew chapter 25. It tells of a master who had three servants. To one of his servants, he gave five talents; to another servant, he gave two talents; and to his third servant, he gave one talent. The master went away to a far country for a period of time. When he returned, he squared his accounts with his servants. The servant who had five talents returned to his master with ten. His master said, "Well done, thy good and faithful servant. Enter into thy rest. You've been faithful over a few things; you'll be ruler over many." Then he came to the second servant, who had two talents, and he returned to his master with four.

Well done, thy good and faithful servant. You've been faithful over a few things, and now I'll make you ruler over many. Then he came to his third servant, who had been given one talent. The servant returned that one talent to his master and said, "Listen, I knew that you are a hard man. You reap where you have not sown. So I took your talent and buried it here. You have what is yours." The master of that servant replied, "You wicked servant," and cast him out of his kingdom.

There is a squaring of accounts. The Lord is going to return, and when He comes, His reward is with Him. He will reward those who have worked diligently. Every man will be rewarded according to his works, as we read in Isaiah 62:11. In verse 12, it goes on to say, "And they shall call them the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord, and you shall be called sought out, a city not forsaken."

When God returns, when Jesus comes again to glorify His people, they will be called the holy people. Now, in Christ, we have already received this title. If you're a Christian tonight and you have put your confidence and trust in Jesus Christ for salvation, you have already received the title of a holy people. In 1 Peter 2:9, we see that we are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy people.

When God returns to His people to glorify them, they will be called the holy people. Why are they called the holy people? They are called the holy people because they are the redeemed of the Lord, as stated in verse 12. The only reason we are a holy people is that we have been redeemed by the Lord, not because we have worked holiness into our lives or because of our great ability to work righteousness, but because He has clothed us with His righteousness. He has purchased us back; He has redeemed us. Therefore, we are holy.

The key to holiness is for the sinner to be redeemed by a holy God. In Exodus 3, you may remember the story of the burning bush. Moses is out tending the sheep of his father-in-law, Jethro, and he sees a sight he's never seen before: a bush that is on fire but not being consumed. He draws near to it because he wants to see what this is all about. When he gets close,

A voice comes out of the midst of the bush and says, "Moses, take the sandals from your feet because the place on which you're standing is holy ground." Do you think there was something miraculous about the molecular structure of that dirt around the burning bush that day? I would suggest to you that no, there is nothing special about that dirt other than the fact that the presence of holy God was there. Because of His presence, that dirt was made holy.

You and I have been redeemed. We now are the temple of the Holy Spirit because God dwells in us by His Holy Spirit. He has made us a holy people. They shall be called the holy people, the redeemed of the Lord, and you shall be called sought out. The redeemed of the Lord, those who have the title of being the holy people, are redeemed and holy because God sought them out. Romans 3, verse 11 says that none seek after God, but God has sought after us. All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned everyone to his own way, and He has sought us out.

Jesus tells the parable of the man who had a hundred sheep, and one went astray. He leaves the ninety-nine to go and get that one. Every single one of us has gone astray, and He has come to seek us out. Therefore, the people of God, as mentioned in verse 12 of Isaiah 62, are a holy people because they have been redeemed by the Lord. Because God sought them out, they are a people not forsaken. Those who are sought for, redeemed, and made holy by the Lord will never be forsaken. What a great and glorious promise this is! You and I in Christ will never be forsaken, even though we still fail.

How many of you recognize that we still sin and fall short of God's glory? Yet, He will not forsake us. Hebrews chapter 13, verse 5, the author of the book of Hebrews says, "Let your conduct be without covetousness and be content with such things as you have, for He has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you.'" What a blessing that verse is to me. The exhortation of the author of the book of Hebrews is clear: we should conduct ourselves in a righteous way.

Why? Because God promised He'll never forsake you. He does not say, "Conduct yourself in a righteous way or else you might be forsaken." He says, "No, God has given you a promise that He will never forsake you." Therefore, live in a righteous manner that glorifies Him.

Psalm 37, verse 28 says, "For the Lord loves judgment and He forsakes not His saints." The Lord loves righteousness, and He does not forsake His saints. They are preserved forever, but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. God does not forsake His saints. Even though we fail and fall short, He does not forsake us. That reality, that truth, ought to stir us to want to walk in righteousness, to glorify Him, and to bring joy and rejoicing to Him.

Again, Revelation 4:11 says that we've been created to bring Him pleasure. The prophecies and promises of Isaiah chapter 62 regarding the coming great restoration of the children of Israel and the land of Israel in Jerusalem is something that is yet to be fulfilled. However, before it will be fulfilled, the next prophecies of Isaiah 63, verses 1 through 6 will come first.

If you were to imagine a timeline of future history, things that are going to come to pass, we know the Bible declares there is coming a day when Jesus will rule and reign in righteousness here upon the earth. He will bring about a great restoration of the land of Israel, and all the nations will gather there together. Isaiah chapter 2, verses 1 through 4 speaks about this gathering to worship the Lord in Jerusalem. That is on the timeline; that is something we are looking forward to.

But before that event takes place, there is coming a day of vengeance, a day of judgment that we read of in Isaiah 63, verse 1. The prophet asks, "Who is this that comes from Edom with dyed garments from Basra, this that is glorious in His apparel, traveling in the greatness of His strength?" He answers, "I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore are You red in Your apparel and Your garments like Him that treads the winepress?"

I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the people there was none with me. For I will tread them in my anger, and I will trample them in my fury. Their blood shall be sprinkled upon my garments, and I will stain all my raiment. For the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed has come.

Isaiah sees a vision in Isaiah chapter 63. He imagines that he is standing in the city of Jerusalem, looking towards the east, towards the Mount of Olives. He sees a man approaching the city of Jerusalem, glorious in his clothing. He is wearing beautiful, rich clothing, and he comes in the greatness of his strength. This probably speaks of him wearing glorious clothing, but he is also arrayed in battle attire. He has armor on and perhaps a sword. It may even suggest that he is coming with his entire army behind him.

Imagine the picture: Isaiah is in Jerusalem, perhaps even on the Temple Mount, looking towards the east. There on the Temple Mount, he sees this one coming, and he asks, "Who is this man? Who is this one that's coming?" The man answers him, saying, "I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save." The only one who speaks in righteousness is God. Isaiah chapter 45, verse 19 states, "I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth. I said not unto the seed of Jacob, 'Seek me in vain.' I, the Lord, speak righteousness; I declare things that are right."

The Lord speaks righteousness. Isaiah looks and sees this man clothed in beautiful, rich clothing, with all the armor of war on. He asks again, "Who is this one? I who speak in righteousness, mighty to save." Jesus is the only one who is mighty to save. Hebrews chapter 7, verse 25 says that he is able to save to the uttermost those who come to God by him.

So, Isaiah sees a vision of Jesus coming from the Mount of Olives, from the east into Jerusalem. Isaiah asks him another question in verse 2: "Why is your clothing red? Why are your garments like him who treads the winepress?"

As Isaiah inspects this man a little more closely, he sees that all of his beautiful clothing is covered in red, as if someone has been treading the winepress. He asks, "Why are you covered in red like this?" The man, Jesus, answers in verse 3, "I have trodden the winepress alone. And of the people, there was none with me; for I tread them in my anger and trampled them in my fury, and their blood shall be sprinkled upon all my garments, and I will stain all my clothing."

The righteous warrior, the mighty Savior, explains, "I've been treading the winepress by myself, and that's why my clothes are red. Why? Because the day of vengeance is in my heart, and the year of my redeemed has come."

The day of the Lord is going to come, as the Scriptures say, like a thief in the night upon all those who are not looking for Him, upon all those who are not serving Him and walking in righteousness. The phrase "the day of the Lord," seen 29 times in the Bible, is never a good thing. It always speaks of a day of darkness, despair, judgment, and wrath. Therefore, before the restoration of righteousness, before the Lord rules and reigns here upon the earth, there will be this day of the Lord.

It is interesting that in many places, when you read about the day of the Lord, similar words are used, like what we see here in Isaiah chapter 63. Turn briefly over to the book of Joel. You are in the book of Isaiah; turn to the right to Joel chapter 3. Right before the book of Amos is the book of Joel, just after the book of Hosea.

In Joel chapter 3, verse 9, God says, "Proclaim this among the Gentiles or among the nations: Prepare for war. Wake up the mighty men, and let all the men of war draw near. Let them come up. Let them beat their plowshares into swords and their pruning hooks into spears, and let the weak say, 'I am strong.'"

Now, it is very interesting. In Isaiah chapter 2, when it speaks about the rule of Jesus' righteousness, when He rules here upon the earth, it says there, "Beat your swords..."

Into plowshares and your spears into pruning hooks, and nations will no longer learn war. But in Joel chapter 3, it says exactly the opposite. It says, "Prepare for war. Beat your plowshares into swords, your pruning hooks into spears, and get ready for battle."

Verse 11 states, "Assemble yourselves and come, all you heathen, and gather yourselves together round about. Cause your mighty ones to come down, O Lord. Let the heathen be wakened and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat, for there will I sit to judge the heathen round about. Put in the sickle," says the Lord, "for the harvest is ripe. Come and get you down, for the press, the wine press, is full and the vats overflow, for their wickedness is great."

"Multitudes, multitudes in the valley of decision, the day of the Lord in the valley of decision. The sun and the moon shall be darkened, the stars shall withdraw from their shining, and the Lord shall also roar out of Zion and utter His voice from Jerusalem. The heavens and the earth shall shake, and the Lord will be the hope of His people and the strength of the children of Israel."

Isaiah chapter 63 states that Jesus, when He comes for the day of vengeance, will tread the wine press in His fury and in His anger. Joel chapter 3 says that God is going to gather all the nations together for battle, and He pictures it like a wine press that is full.

In the last book of the Bible, Revelation chapter 14, verse 17, John sees a vision of what is going to happen in the last days on that very same day, the day of vengeance. He says, "I saw another angel come out of the temple that was in heaven, and he had a sharp sickle," just like we saw in Joel chapter 3.

He had a sharp sickle, and another angel came from the altar which had power over fire. He cried with a loud voice to him that had the sharp sickle, saying, "Thrust in the sharp sickle and gather the clusters of the vine of the earth, for her grapes are fully ripe." The angel thrust in the sickle into the earth and gathered the vine of the earth, and he cast it into the great wine press of the wrath of God. The wine press was trodden outside the city, and the blood came out of the wine press even to the horse's bridle, to the space of a thousand and six hundred furlongs.

Five chapters later, in Revelation chapter 19, verse 11, John says, "I saw the heaven open, and behold, a white horse, and he who sat on him was called Faithful and True."

And in righteousness, He does judge and make war. Who is the faithful and true witness? Who judges the world in righteousness? His eyes were a flame of fire, and on His head were many crowns. He had a name that no man knew but He Himself, and He is clothed with a robe that is dipped in blood. His name is called the Word of God, and the armies which were in heaven followed Him on white horses, clothed in fine linen, white and clean.

Notice that His robe is stained, but they are white and clean. Why? Because He treads the winepress alone. Out of His mouth goes a sharp sword, that with it He should smite the nations and rule them with a rod of iron. He treads the winepress of the fierceness of the wrath of Almighty God, and He has on His robe and on His thigh a name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Who is this that comes from Edom with dyed garments from Basra? This One is glorious in His apparel, traveling in the greatness of His strength. I speak in righteousness, mighty to save. Wherefore are You red in Your apparel and Your garments like Him that treads the winepress? I have trodden the winepress alone, and of the people there was none with Me. For I will tread them in My anger and trample them in My fury, and their blood shall be sprinkled upon My garments, and I will stain all My clothing. For the day of vengeance is in My heart, and the year of My redeemed has come.

After that day of vengeance, when God pours out wrath upon a Christ-rejecting and sinful world, then the year of the Lord's redeemed will come. That time when He will rule and reign and restore, that millennial reign when Jesus reigns here upon the earth for a thousand years, as we've seen in Isaiah chapters 2, 11, 35, 62, and many other passages of the Bible.

In Isaiah chapter 61, we saw last week that Jesus came the first time to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord, but He is coming the second time to proclaim the day of vengeance of our God. After that day of vengeance, when He tramples the winepress of the wrath of God, then He will comfort all who mourn, appoint to them that mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness, that they might be called the trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that He might be glorified.

The Bible reveals that there is coming...

A day will come when Jesus restores all things and rules and reigns here upon the earth. However, before that day arrives, there will be a day of vengeance when He brings wrath upon a Christ-rejecting and sinful world. Isaiah continues in Isaiah 63, verse 5: "And I looked, and there was none to help; and I wondered that there was none to uphold. Therefore, my own arm brought salvation unto me, and my fury, it upheld me. I will tread down the people in my anger and make them drunk in my fury; I will bring down their strength to the earth."

When Jesus comes to judge, He will do it alone. Why? Romans chapter 12, verse 19, quoting the book of Deuteronomy, says, "Vengeance is mine; I will repay." The Lord is the one who will execute justice and judgment upon those who have rejected Him. He will tread them down in His anger and make them drunk in His fury; He will bring down their strength to the earth. He will humble the haughty looks of man and destroy all who have set themselves against Him.

We see this clearly pictured throughout the book of Isaiah. In fact, later on, if you read through Isaiah chapters 34 and 35, chapter 34 speaks about this judgment in Edom, in Basra, where He treads the winepress of the wrath of God. Isaiah 35 speaks about the restoration that will come after that. Isaiah chapter 24 discusses the judgment that God will bring upon the whole earth. Chapters 25 through 27 speak about the rejoicing that shall come after that point. All of these things are what we have to look forward to.

We know that these things will come to pass. How do we know that? Because God has fulfilled His word of old, and He will fulfill what He promised to do yet in the future. And though it tarries, we must wait for it.

What ought to be our work? What should be our focus here and now? Should we be trying to make Him come and fulfill these things? No. Yes, we pray that He will return. Revelation chapter 22 says, "The Spirit and the bride say, 'Come!' Even so, Lord Jesus, come." We cry out and say, "Lord, return, come!" But until He comes, we have a task to do. We are told to go into all the world and shine righteousness into dark places because there is not a single person we would wish the wrath of God to come upon. We want all humanity to come to repentance. God has tarried.

He's waited this long to bring repentance to this world. He's not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, as it says in 2 Peter, chapter 3, verse 9. God's desire is that our neighbors, our co-workers, and our friends who don't know Him yet would come to know Him so that they would receive refuge in Jesus Christ and not have to go through His wrath. The wrath of God is a terrible and dreadful thing, necessary because He is holy and just, but not something that we would wish upon anybody.

We are called to go into this world and bring the righteousness of Christ, the gospel of Christ, to those who tonight are still under judgment. Quickly, in Isaiah, chapter 63, verse 7, we read, "I will mention the lovingkindness of the Lord and the praise of the Lord according to all that the Lord has bestowed on us and the great goodness toward the house of Israel, which He has bestowed on them according to His mercies and according to the multitude of His lovingkindness."

Isaiah speaks of God's lovingkindness even in the midst of His judgment and wrath. Isaiah recognizes that God is good, that God has bestowed mercy upon His people, and that He has poured out kindness and love. He said, "Surely they are My people, children that will not lie." So, He was their Savior. God looked upon His people and said, "This is a people that I want to save; I want to redeem."

In all their affliction, He was afflicted, and the angel of His presence saved them. God personally reached out to His people and redeemed them time and time again from those who would afflict them. When they suffered, He suffered. Every single parent here tonight will understand that when you see your own child suffering—going through sickness, hurting themselves, whatever it may be—you yourself suffer with them through it and in it.

Jesus, as He watched His people suffer through all the persecution and affliction they went through, suffered along with them. Yet, He constantly would reach out to them to redeem them. In His love and pity, He redeemed them; He bore them and carried them all the days of old. God was a good God; God was a loving God.

However, verse 10 states, "But they rebelled and vexed His Holy Spirit; they grieved the Lord. Therefore, He was turned to be their enemy, and He fought against them." They rebelled against the Lord, and from their...

Perspective can often lead people to view God as their enemy. In reality, it is simply the discipline, the chastening of the Lord. The people remembered the days of old, reflecting on their past when they were in the midst of sin and judgment. During those times, they would recall how God had worked on their behalf. They remembered Moses and his people asking, "Where is He that brought them up from the sea, the shepherd of His flock? Where is He that put the Holy Spirit within him, that led them by the right hand of Moses with His glorious arm, dividing the waters before them to make Himself an everlasting name?"

Imagine the people of Israel in Babylon, exiles and captives under severe and harsh taskmasters. They remembered another time in their history when they faced similar persecution, and God delivered them. God sent Moses, who led them through the waters of the Red Sea, dividing the waters and glorifying His name in the process. He led them through the deep as a horse in the wilderness, ensuring they would not stumble, like a beast that goes down into the valley. The Spirit of the Lord caused them to rest, and thus, they cried out, "You led Your people to make Yourself a glorious name. God, You redeemed Your people from Egypt; You redeemed them out of their distress and glorified Yourself through them."

Now, in exile in Babylon, the oppressed, burdened by their sin and rebellion against God, cried out, "Look down from heaven and behold from the habitation of Your holiness and glory. Where is the zeal of Your strength? The sounding of Your bowels and Your mercies toward me—are they restrained? Doubtless, You are our Father. Though Abraham was ignorant of us and Israel acknowledged us not, You, O Lord, are our Father; our Redeemer, Your name is from everlasting."

Here we see the sinner in despair, oppressed because of their rebellion and turning away from God. They cry out to God, saying, "Lord, even though our father Abraham and our father Jacob would disown us, still You are our Father. God, reach down; do not be restrained. Doubtless, You are our Father." They continued, "Why have You made us err from Your ways and hardened our hearts from Your fear? Return for Your servant's sake, the tribes of Your inheritance, the people of Your holiness have possessed it."

But for a little while, our adversaries have trodden down Thy sanctuary. We are Thine; Thou never bearest rule over them. They were not called by Thy name. God, we are Your people. Redeem us is the cry of the lost sinner there in the land of Babylon. God, see from heaven and redeem us to Yourself.

Every single individual in this world needs to come to this place, needs to come to this recognition that they are under oppression. They are in the prison house because of their own sin, because they rebelled against God. They need to call out to God and say, "God, would You redeem me?" What do you think God says? What do you think He does when a sinner cries out and says, "Lord, redeem me from my distress?" Do you think He looks down and says, "You get yourself out of that?"

The heart of God longs to hear the cry of a sinful individual saying, "God, would You redeem me?" Because God has made provision; He has made a way for redemption through His Son. This is that great message that you and I have been given to carry into this dark world. Yes, there is a day of judgment coming; there is a time of God's wrath, of His vengeance. Yet, to this day, God has been patient. He has been long-suffering, not willing that any should perish, because He desires that sinful man—and all men have sinned—would turn to Him, cry out to Him, and say, "Father, would You redeem me? When everyone else would disown me, Father, would You redeem me?"

And what does He do? He saves to the uttermost those that come to Him by His Son, Jesus Christ. He is mighty to save. Some of you here tonight recognize that because you know where you came from. You know the life that you had in the past, and you have seen the mighty redemption of our God.

We all have family members and friends who have not experienced the redemption of the Lord. What great and good news we have, the gospel that we have to carry to a world that is in darkness. May we let our light so shine before men that they would see our good works and glorify our Father in heaven. May they come to the knowledge of the truth and walk in light as we walk in light, knowing the Lord. Amen.

Let's stand and pray.

Father, we ask that You would work Your Word in our lives, that we would be able to apply the reality of what we see in these passages. You are on the throne; You are God. You are not restrained from redeeming, but You desire that we would call out to You.

Lord, stir our hearts to share that truth with everyone we come in contact with. They need to hear the truth of the Gospel because, whether they know it or not, or whether they believe it or not, the day of vengeance is coming. They need to be rescued and redeemed from that day.

We thank You that You have redeemed us and that You have saved us. Give us the boldness to share that word of reconciliation with those who don't know it yet. We ask this in Jesus' name. Amen.

God bless you.