"The Glory of the Lord Has Risen" Sermon: Isaiah 60:1-9

“The Glory of the Lord Has Risen”

[Isaiah 60:1-9]
     

January 1, 2012 Second Reformed Church

            Today we are celebrating Epiphany.  What is Epiphany?  An epiphany is a sudden understanding or enlightenment.  When we talk about the Epiphany in Church History, we are most specifically looking at the recognizing of Jesus as God and Savior by the Magi.  The Magi were a group of Persian astrologers who had matched up certain prophecies about the King of Israel with the star that rested above the house that Mary, Joseph, and Jesus were staying in.

            We read in the Gospel of Matthew:  “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the east came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he who has been born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.’ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him; and assembling all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, ‘In Bethlehem of Judea, for so it is written by the prophet:  “And you, O Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah;   for from you shall come a ruler who will shepherd my people Israel.”’  Then Herod summoned the wise men secretly and ascertained from them what time the star had appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, saying, ‘Go and search diligently for the child, and when you have found him, bring me word, that I too may come and worship him.’ After listening to the king, they went on their way. And behold, the star that they had seen when it rose went before them until it came to rest over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. And going into the house they saw the child with Mary his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts, gold and frankincense and myrrh. And being warned in a dream not to return to Herod, they departed to their own country by another way” (Matthew 2:1-12, ESV).

            What we have in this morning’s text is the epiphany of God’s Salvation for His people – both from captivity in Assyria and from sin:

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the LORD has risen upon you.”

Our text begins with God commanding Israel to rise from her spiritual death to spiritual life and to open her blind eyes and shine the light that God has given her – things she was unable to do.  Paul wrote, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind” (Ephesians 2:1-3, ESV).

We are all born unable to do anything good spiritually, because we are born sinners.  We all inherit a sin nature from our father, Adam.  We are not born spiritually sick – Paul tells us we are born dead.  God’s people in Israel were also born dead.

Yet, God commanded Israel, who was incapable of rising from the dead and making herself sighted – God commanded her to rise and to see.  We see in this that God is just in requiring what we cannot do; God is just in commanding us to do what we cannot do – when the reason we cannot is our sin.

Still, Isaiah gives Israel hope as she understands her predicament – he speaks as though their salvation has already been accomplished, as he tells them, “the glory of the Lord has risen.”

The epiphany for Israel is that God was not only her judge, but He had also chosen to be her Savior.  God not only punished her for her sin, but in His time, He made salvation for her – first through her return to Israel, and then through the Promised Savior.

“For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and thick darkness the peoples; but the LORD will arise upon you and his glory will be seen upon you.”

Israel was in captivity – and the whole world with her was encased in the darkness of sin.  There was nothing they could do to make their condition better, but God chose to arise – to break forth His Glory – and to let it be seen through His people.

Here we have the epiphany of salvation:  “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Ephesians 2:4-10, ESV).

God’s choice was to save His people and He brought them – and still brings them – up out of the darkness and back to new life, risen out of the thick darkness, and revealed into the light.

Each one this morning who believes in Jesus Alone for salvation has been brought back to life and has had eyes opened.  God has brought you here to worship Him, and as we receive the Sacrament of the Lord’s Supper, God opens our eyes so we see beyond the crass elements of bread and cup:  We understand that God come down in the Person of Jesus broke His Flesh and shed His Blood for the salvation of everyone who would believe.  We understand that Jesus is with us, even now – not that the bread and cup turn into real flesh and blood – but that Jesus spiritually ministers to us, giving us grace to be able to do all those things He has planned for us.  And we understand that Jesus will return in His same physical body to complete the coming of His Kingdom. 

Understanding the Lord’s Supper is just one way in which the Glory of the Lord has risen in each one who believes.  God has done it for us and for those in the day of Isaiah, and for all those who believe until the end of the age.

“And nations shall come to your light, and kings to the brightness of your rising.”

Notice, the Risen Glory of the Lord among His people not only draw them to Him, but all nations – even the Gentiles – the non-Jews – people of every rank – from captives to kings, are drawn to God’s Light.  As we have noted before, God told Abraham, “and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice” (Genesis 22:18, ESV).

God confirms that the nations will be drawn to the Light of the Glory of God in the Kingdom – as God enables them to follow Him and believe: “And the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and its lamp is the Lamb. By its light will the nations walk, and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it, and its gates will never be shut by day—and there will be no night there. They will bring into it the glory and the honor of the nations. But nothing unclean will ever enter it, nor anyone who does what is detestable or false, but only those who are written in the Lamb's book of life” (Revelation 21:23-27, ESV).

“Lift up your eyes all around, and see; they all gather together, they come to you; your sons shall come from afar, and your daughters shall be carried on the hip.”

Despite Israel being in captivity – despite the fact the Judah was also to fall and be taken into captivity, God declares it as a fact, as though it has already happened – that all the true believers in God have been brought together from the ends of the earth – God has gathered His people to Himself.  God’s harvest is so certain; He speaks of it in the past tense.

“Then you shall see and be radiant; your heart shall thrill and exult, because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you, the wealth of the nations shall come to you.”

For the Jews of Isaiah’s day, this was a prophecy that non-Jews would help rebuild the Kingdom of Israel – which we know they did.  We can read about it in Ezra and Nehemiah and Haggai and Zechariah – the nations of the world brought their goods and abilities and used them to rebuild Israel to the Glory of God.

It also means that the riches of Creation will be turned over to the Kingdom and all those in it.  This does not simply mean that anyone who believes savingly in Jesus will be wealthy.  What God is saying is that all those who believe will come into the Kingdom wholeheartedly and give of themselves wholeheartedly – whether that is of money or something else.  Those who believe from Adam until the return of Christ ought to be – and will be (notice the change of tense from past to future) – giving everything – the best – the heart and soul of who they are and how they have been blessed by God, back to God.

Remember what the summery of the Law is “And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30, ESV).  We are called to love God with everything we are and have.  And the day will come – and is coming – when all the nations of the world – people from all the nations of the world – will come into the Kingdom of God – giving everything they are for the sake of God and His Kingdom.

When we all come in like that – when we see the Glory of the Lord rising in the giving of gifts and talents and blessings for the sake of the Kingdom and for sending the Gospel out to make sure every person knows, we will rejoice – all those who believe savingly in Jesus will rejoice to see others serving Him and working for the good of the Kingdom and the Glory of God.

Isaiah turns and sees:  “A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come.  They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall bring good news, the praises of the LORD.”

Here Isaiah sees all the peoples of the near Eastern nations – Midian and Ephah – probably Jordan, and Sheba – probably Ethiopia and/or Eritrea, bringing the produce of the land to be given to God and for use in the Kingdom.  (Although the magi did bring gold and frankincense, this is a not a specific prophecy about them, though they would be included in this prophecy.)

  “All the flocks of Kedar shall be gathered to you; the rams of Nebaioth shall minister to you; they shall come up with acceptance on my altar, and I will beautify my beautiful house.”

The people of Kedar – Iraq, and the people of Nebaioth – Saudi Arabia – they also will bring the produce of the land to be giving to God and for use in the Kingdom.  Here we see the Arab nations – the descendants of Ishmael, turning to the God and Savior of Israel, believing in Jesus Alone for Salvation, joining together as one people of God, with all of their resources being used for God’s Glory.

It would have been strange to the ears of Israel in captivity that the nations around their eastern side would come to believe and worship the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  It may sound strange to our ears to hear the promise that people brought up in the nations of Islam would convert to Christianity, but God has chosen a people for Himself, and they will come.  And when as this people comes, they will come whole-heartedly, giving all of themselves to God and the Kingdom.

“Who are these that fly like a cloud, and like doves to their windows?  For the coastlands shall hope for me, the ships of Tarshish first, to bring your children from afar, their silver and gold with them, for the name of the LORD your God, and for the Holy One of Israel, because he has made you beautiful.”

Yet, it is not just from Israel and the nations to her East that God has called His people.  Isaiah turns and looks to the West, and he sees a vision of flying beings, like a cloud – thick with beings there are so many of them flying in from Tarshish – first – from Cilicia – the island nation to the West of Israel – but then from the far West – even from Irvington, NJ.

The Glory of God has risen such that the peoples from the Western world will also come and give everything and all of themselves for God and the Savior – for the Kingdom and the beauty that God has arisen.

So what do we see?

God calls all people to repentance and faith, but that is impossible.  God must intervene and give us life and faith.  Therefore all glory of salvation is God’s.

God promised Israel through Isaiah that God was going to raise up his Glory – and it was such a certainty, God spoke in the past tense, telling them that the Glory of the Lord had risen.

What God meant by this was that God would prove Himself righteous by bringing back a people for Himself out of captivity, and that He would save a people for Himself from the Wrath of God.

God also promised that the people who He had chosen and was bringing to faith in Him, who would follow after His Glory would not only be from Israel, but from the non-Jews, from the Arab nations to the East, and from the nations to the West.

All those who believe savingly in God’s Savior and follow His Glory will seek to give all of themselves and all that they have for the Glory of God and for the full bringing in of His Kingdom.

Last night, some one million people watched the ball drop in Times Square, and some one billion watched it on TV.  From Creation until the end of the age is building “a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” (Revelation 7:9b-10, ESV).

Last night, some one million people left mountains of garbage to be cleaned up.  From Creation until the end of the age, men and women from all over the world come to faith in God the Savior, Jesus, and given everything they have to Glorify and serve Him, because the Glory of God has risen and made them His (cf. Revelation 4:10).

Have you seen the Glory of God risen?  Have you followed it and given everything you are and have to God and His Work?

Let us continue to meet with our God and Savior in prayer and in the sacrament asking that He would make us faithful and sacrificial that the light of His Glory would been seen in us and draw many people to Him.

Let us pray:

Almighty God, we thank You that You chose to rescue a remnant out of captivity, showing Yourself to be righteous.  We thank You for choosing a people for yourself from the beginning of history until the full indwelling of Your Kingdom and for choosing people from every people.  We thank You for showing us that You are worthy of all glory.  We ask that we would give of ourselves everything to You – that we would seek Your Kingdom first, believing You that all these things shall be added afterwards (cf. Matthew 6:33).  Meet with us in the Sacrament and give us strength and wisdom and desire to follow after You faithfully in every way that Jesus Christ would be praised.  For it is in His Name we pray, Amen.