Studies in Isaiah - Part 10 — Harry Ironside

The Servant’s Prophecy and Israel’s Calling

And that ends, as you remember, with the words that Jehovah's condored the Messiah, their treatment of the Messiah. And that begins with chapter 49 and ends with chapter 57. As I've spoken, I've come at the wrong time as a nation has written in the prophet, out of Egypt have I called my son, so that the wind of God from the nation.

The Servant Given as Salvation to the Gentiles

I think that I should be my prayer to raise up the tribes of Jacob. And to restore the preserved of Israel, I will also give thee for life to the Gentiles, that thou mayest be my salvation unto the end of the earth.

Go ahead. Thus saith the Lord, the Redeemer of Israel and his holy ones, to him whom man despises, to him whom the nation abhors, to a servant a ruler. Kings shall see it arise. Christ is also shall worship, because of the Lord that is faithful, and the Holy One of Israel, and he shall choose thee.

Millennial Fulfillment and the Future Kingdom

Now, while of course in the Old Testament we do not have the present age looking at two mountains to the millennium, of course it will have its complete fulfillment in millennial days, but all the kingdoms of this world will become the kingdom of our God, whom the nation abhors.

That's a remarkable sense. Isn't it wonderful that God has put a Southern Baptist in the presidential chair? He professes the Christian faith, and in that sense recognizes the authority. It was very definite in her conception of faith when Africa, he the African who had tribute, handed him a Bible.

Along in years, cottages in the hills around, she got acquainted with all of them and would go from one to another and chat with them, and of course they were delighted to think that the Queen would take that notice of them.

God’s Shepherding of the Redeemed

Well, your majesty. Neither shall the heat nor sun smite them, for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them, and I will make all my mountains away, and my highways shall be exalted.

Now, here's a passage in the New Testament. Now, how many have thought of it? But no more, neither thirst any more, neither shall the sun light on them, nor any heat, for the lamb which is in the midst of his crone shall feed them, and shall lead them unto living facts of the world, and God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes.

Now, will you go back again and read the kindred passage in Isaiah, supposed to just show how exact. Of the night, sir, they shall feed in the ways, and their pasture shall be in all pastures, and then, they shall not hunger nor thirst, neither shall the heat nor sun smite them, for he that hath mercy on them shall lead them, even by the springs of water shall he guide them.

Now, you see, the two passages refer to exactly the same group. It's an earthly group. It's people who will be saved for the kingdom of our Lord. He's to acknowledge the authority of those rejected, with himself, and the question arise.

The Suffering Servant and His Obedience

When I called, was there none to answer. Is my hand sharpened at all that it cannot redeem, or have I no power to deliver the whole that my rebuke I drive? I make the rivers a wilderness, their fish thickest, because there is no water, and direst for thirst.

I close the heavens with blackness, and I make sackcloth their covering. The law of God hath given me the tongue of the learned, that I should know how to speak the word in season to him that is weary.

He wakeneth morning by morning. He wakeneth mine ear to hear as the learned. I gave my backs to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hay. I hid not my face from shame and spit. I've sat down oh so many times, several times as a Jew.

I make sackcloth their covering, that I should know how to speak the word in season to him that is weary. He wakeneth morning by morning. Now here's one who, if he says himself, it was the Lord's Jewish translation, would be touched with a sucker the light of the fire that you've kindled in the light of their own fire.

And what has been the result? Shall lie down. You could go through prayer for everything else. Heard any prayer in the light of the teachings of the rabbi? They'll never be relieved of him whom they've pierced, and they mourn for him.

Come to me, ye that follow after righteousness, ye that seek the Lord. Look unto the rock whence ye are hewn, and to the hole of the pit whence ye are digged. Look unto Abraham your father, and unto Pharaoh that beareth you.

For I called him alone and blessed him and increased him. For the Lord shall comfort Zion. He will comfort all her waste places, and he will make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord.

Joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving and the voice of melody. So that God is going to fulfill every promise made. He says, look unto Abraham. Abraham in thee and in thy seed, and to Jerusalem as she will be in the coming day.

The Three Calls to Awake

In the generations of old, are thou not it that hath cut Rahab and wounded the dragon? Just a moment there, lest I forget it. Rahab, the dragon there. Awake, awake, stand up, O Jerusalem, which hath drunk at the hand of the Lord the cup of his fury.

Thou hast drunken the draught of the cup of trembling, and roamed vain hours. And the third awake is the first verse of chapter fifty-two. Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion. Put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city.

For henceforth thou shalt no more come in to be the unsacrificed and only clean. Shake thyself from the dust. Arise and sit there, O Jerusalem. Loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion.

For thus saith the Lord, ye have sold yourselves for naught, and ye shall be redeemed without money. These three calls to awake come in consecutively in a very clear, definite way. First, it's the call of the people in their sorrow and their trouble.

Awake, awake, O looking back and remembering how the arm of the Lord's been manifested in their behalf in ancient times. From the depths of their heart, O God, come in and undertake for us. What is the arm of the Lord?

One of our hymns says, the Lord's been asleep. What does it mean? I couldn't understand it. It's just what they're singing about. The arm of the Lord is a person. When you come to the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah, you see that he's a person really being addressed, the Lord in due time.

That's where those words apply. Seek ye the Lord, while he is our God, for he will abundantly pardon. Well, now, in her presence, cleanse yourself. Fifty-two, and they've turned back to God. And now the day of their blessing has come.

The Gospel of Peace and Beautiful Feet

He says, awake of the Gentiles. Good tidings. Let this bring us good tidings of good that publishes salvation. Let's bet on the Zion by God. ...of the last day, mountains, going out through the... ...the gospel of peace.

And we speak of it as the gospel of the kingdom. But let us remember that while it is distinguished in that sense, it's not a different gospel to that which we preach today. There's only one gospel. The Apostle Paul says, though we are an angel from heaven, preach any other gospel unto you than that which we have preached.

Let him be accursed. And unless any of them should think he was just bad-tempered and speaking in, if any man preach any other gospel, I curse him. There's only one gospel. And that's the gospel of God concerning his Son.

The Gospel of the Kingdom and the Gospel of Grace

But that gospel takes on boarding to God's dispensational dealings. When John the Baptist began to preach, he proclaimed the gospel of the kingdom of God. But that doesn't mean that he didn't tell sinners how to be saved.

Remember, it was John the Baptist who said, Taketh away the sin of the world. But the great emphasis of his message... ...enter into the kingdom. And when the Lord Jesus... He's proclaiming the gospel.

And he sent his disciples... When the kingdom was rejected, then a new thing came in. And now we're preaching the gospel of the grace of God. Because the Lord Jesus, during the forty days he appeared on earth...

...talked to his disciples about the kingdom of God. And in the last word... ...of God. So we still preach the gospel of the kingdom. But the emphasis... ...of the grace of God... ...when this age has come to an end.

And the church has been taken home. And God finally called in... ...Daniel the Masculine... ...to go forth proclaiming glad tidings... ...that the time is fitting it is... ...immediately before Isaiah presents...

The Messianic Prophecy of Isaiah 53

...the greatest Messianic prophecy... ...in all the history of Isaiah... ...the last three... So we'll begin there... ...this afternoon at two o 'clock.