Reformed Wisdom

John Calvin on Isaiah 40:26:  "for while God formed other animals to look downward for pasture, he made man alone erect, and bade him look at what may be regarded as his own habitation."

"Comfort Ye" Sermon: Isaiah 40:1-11 (video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tmX_bVor58&feature=youtu.be

"Comfort Ye" Sermon: Isaiah 40:1-11 (manuscript)

“Comfort Ye”

[Isaiah 40:1-11]

April 26, 2020 YouTube

Last week, as we considered chapter 39 of Isaiah, we saw darkness fall on Jerusalem.  Hezekiah reveals all the secrets and strengths of the nation to the Babylonians who are moving to conquer the Assyrians.  Isaiah comes to Hezekiah and tells him that this is the end – the Babylonians will conquer Jerusalem, take everyone into captivity – even the sons Hezekiah will have – and they will be made into eunuchs in the king’s palace.  The good news for Hezekiah is that he will live out his reign in peace.  God’s discipline of His people will actually come about one hundred years later – and it will last seventy years.

The change from chapter 39 to chapter 40 has led to some suspect theories about the writing of the book of Isaiah, but consider this:  is it possible that the Almighty God of heaven and earth Who is bringing all things to pass according to the counsel of His own will knows what will happen in seventy years?

In fact, what we see in the rest of the book of Isaiah is God preparing Judah and Jerusalem for their captivity, return, and beyond.  God is giving them some insight into what will happen so they will have hope and trust God regarding His promises.

The first thirty-nine chapters of Isaiah tells us how they got to the point of captivity – as well as how God has provided for them.  Beginning in chapter 40, the emphasis is on God being the God Who keeps His promises.

And so, let us begin:

First, God is our comforter.

“Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.”

God instructs Isaiah and the prophets after him and all we who are believers to reach out with the promises of God’s comfort.  The exile will not be forever.  Discipline will not be forever.  This life of suffering will not be forever.  Covid will not be forever.  God will keep His promises.  God will save the remnant.  God’s promise – and the history of His having kept His promises – is our comfort.

“Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins.”

Again – Isaiah, all the prophets, and all those who preach the Gospel – speak tenderly to the people of God – to the remnant – to the elect.  Be honest with them about their situation – give them the warnings and threats of God – but with the tender love and promises that He also gives.  Teach your children that with God there is always hope in the end.  God will bring His people to Himself and treat them with tenderness in the end – no matter how bad the suffering is in the meantime – keep focused on the tenderness of God – and that He will accomplish His will.

The word “warfare” that is used here refers to a time of militaries service – of being discharged from the military – here, permanently.  No one can earn God’s favor.  No one can merit God’s favor.  No one can keep the Law fully and be saved.

Paul writes, “For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, ‘Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.’ Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for ‘The righteous shall live by faith’” (Galatians 3:10-11, ESV).

We continue to fight against sin, the flesh, and the devil, but they have been defeated by Jesus, so we are discharged from our military service.  The battle is won – the war is over – we just haven’t caught up to it in time and space.  So, have hope.  We are victorious in Christ.

Our iniquity has been pardoned in Christ.  Every sin we have and will ever commit – every sin of every believer throughout time and space – was paid for by Jesus on the cross.

For the generations in captivity – trust the promises of God – look forward to the deliverance promised to our first parents in the Garden.  God will accomplish the keeping of the Law perfectly and the paying of the debt of the sins of the people of God.

Still, they will suffer double.  Those is exile will suffer twice as much as they had before.  Those in exile will suffer twice what they normally do, but still far less than they deserve.  We will suffer in this life, but the suffering of the believer will not be forever – there is a specific date and time when it will end – when we pass on from glory into glory and stand before the physically  risen Christ and then be glorified and made like  unto Him.

Be comforted, beloved remnant of God!  All we who believe will come through our suffering and be restored – and glorified because God is faithful and keeps His promises – because He sent His Son Jesus to merit salvation for us and all who ever believe.

As Paul reminds us, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us” (Romans 8:18, ESV).

This section ends with three conversations.

Second, nothing can stop the Lord’s salvation.

“A voice cries: ‘In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.’”

Who is the voice?  And we must remember that this text applies to the people who will be in Babylon.  The voice is the prophet – actually a number of prophets.

What would Isaiah’s listeners have thought of?  Probably Egypt.

After four hundred years in slavery, God came to them, and the voice of Moses announced that God would deliver His people.  Pharaoh was not too great to keep God from delivering them.  The Red Sea was not too great to keep God from delivering them.  The Sinai wilderness was not too great to keep God from delivering them.  God brought His people out of Egypt, through the sea, through the wilderness, and into the Promised Land.  The Glory of the Lord was seen in His works of deliverance, in the fire and the cloud, in the storms on Sinai, in the blessings and the curses upon the people.

But it is for more, isn’t it?

About one hundred and seventy years after Isaiah speaks these words, God would deliver His people out of Babylon.  And the Persian Kingdom and Cyrus would not be too great for God.  Bringing the people across the world would not be too hard for God.  Having all the supplies they needed to rebuild donated would not be too hard for God.  And the Glory of the Lord would return to the Holy of Holies in the Temple.

But it is for more, isn’t it?

As we read in Matthew:

“In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight”’” (Matthew 3:1-3, ESV).

We are specifically told that John the Baptist is the voice, and he is crying out for the revealing of Jesus as the Lamb of God Who takes away the sins of the world, as God the Father sends the Holy Spirit to indwell Jesus at His baptism, saying that He is the Beloved Son of the Father.

And we read that the Glory of Jesus was revealed:

“For we did not follow cleverly devised myths when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but we were eyewitnesses of his majesty. For when he received honor and glory from God the Father, and the voice was borne to him by the Majestic Glory, ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased,’ we ourselves heard this very voice borne from heaven, for we were with him on the holy mountain” (II Peter 1:16-18, ESV).

But, one more:  Isaiah says that all flesh shall see the Glory of God.

Jesus says this will happen when He returns to bring His people into their final rest:

“And then they will see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near” (Luke 21:27-28, ESV).

“Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Philippians 2:9-11, ESV).

And so, the words of Paul are true from the Creation and forevermore:

“Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, ‘For your sake we are being killed all the day long; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.’ No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 8:35-39, ESV).

Nothing can stop the Lord’s salvation of His people.

            Third, the Word of God is eternal.

            “A voice says, ‘Cry!’

            “And I said, ‘What shall I cry?’

            “All flesh is grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. The grass withers, the flower fades when the breath of the LORD blows on it; surely the people are grass. The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever.”

            God then tells Isaiah to cry out to the people – and we do well to do the same – to cry out to the people that humans lie and die, humans tell the truth and lie and live and die – but the Word of God is sure and true and eternal.  What God says is and will always be.  God never has to correct what He says, and He always keeps His Word.

            Peter tells us:

“Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God; for ‘All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever.’ And this word is the good news that was preached to you” (I Peter 1:22-25, ESV).

The message of the Gospel – Who Jesus is and what He did to secure the salvation of His people is sure and true and will never change.  You and I can be comforted and strong in our faith and obedience because Jesus has saved us and that can never change, because we have been saved by the Word of God.

As people rise and fall, as they tell the truth and lie and just make mistakes, we are secure in the Word of God because it is the Word of God Who cannot lie or be wrong or die.  He is living and our ever-Savior.

            Finally, the Lord is our Shepherd.

            “Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, ‘Behold your God!’ Behold, the Lord GOD comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.”

            God now commands Zion – Jerusalem – that is, the Church – all those who believe throughout time and space.  And God tells believers that we are heralds of the Good News – we are the heralds of the victory of God.

            The Good News we are to proclaim is “Behold your God!”  Look at Who God is.  Look at what God has done.  Look at God’s character.  Look at God’s Promises.  Look, He is the Almighty God Who led the people of Israel out of Egypt with His mighty right hand and leads everyone who will believe out of slavery to the devil into the glorious light of salvation.  And look, He has His reward – He has His recompense – every single person God intends to be saved through the Savior is being saved.  Not one will be lost.  Everyone will be saved.  God is victorious in every respect forever and ever.

            And:

“He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.”

God is not an absentee God.  We are the sheep of God’s pasture and He is our Shepherd.

“The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake” (Psalm 23:1-3, ESV).

Jesus says, “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.  He who is a hired hand and not a shepherd, who does not own the sheep, sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and flees, and the wolf snatches them and scatters them. He flees because he is a hired hand and cares nothing for the sheep. I am the good shepherd. I know my own and my own know me, just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep” (John 10:11-15, ESV).

The God of all those who will believe – our God and Savior, Jesus Christ, is our Shepherd.  He leads us.  He cares for us.  He carries us and comforts us as we have need. He gives us all we need and accomplishes salvation for us.  He carries the staff to keep us from going astray and He carries the rod to fight with predators and thieves – and He is always victorious for our sake.  Even as Jesus lay His life down for us – He is physically raised victorious and the greatest happiness the world can ever know is ours in Him.

 Jesus has delivered us from sin and death and hell, so John Calvin comments on this verse that the sum of our happiness is being in the presence of God.

As we go from day to day until the sky cracks and Jesus returns, let us remember this message to the people of Jerusalem, and the exiles in Babylon, and all we who believe:  God is our comforter, and nothing can stop the Lord’s salvation of His people.  Let us trust that the Word of the Lord is eternal, and the Lord is our Shepherd.

            Let us pray:

            Almighty God, You care for Your people like a good shepherd.  Thank You for showing us that in war or exile or Covid, You are the Sovereign of History.  We have comfort and salvation and protection and life eternal in You.  So, let us cry out from the mountains, “Behold your God!”  He is coming.  Let us find our rest in Him as the world around us rages.  In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Review: "Get Healthy" (video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLBMUoJXS0Y&feature=youtu.be

So, Did You Write Something?

     In my previous post, I mentioned that I was approached to read and review a book for an author.  I would be glad to do that for you.  If you have written a book and would like to send me a copy for review, I would be happy to do so.
     This blog is averaging over 5,000 views per month currently, and I also post my reviews on Amazon.com, Goodreads.com, and my fledgling YouTube Channel, "Biblical Preaching."
     I you are interested, send me an e-mail at cali5995@comcast.net.
     Thanks!

Review: "Get Healthy"

            I was pleased and surprised to get a message from Christopher Crennen asking me if I would read and review his book, Get Healthy:  An easy way to eat satisfying, high-fiber meals and stay motivated. I was thrilled both to be asked and because of the subject involved.

            Crennen has written a jam-packed resource for whole-food plant-based living.

            He begins by rightly warning anyone with medical conditions to seek their doctor’s advice before changing their diet (7).  Then he explains that diets fail due to unhealthy food, lack of motivation, and complicated recipes (9).  From here, he launces into his work in earnest.

            The first chapter looks at the standard American diet and why it is failing us – high bad fat, processed foods, and lack of fiber being major culprits.

            In the second chapter, he presents many doctors and organizations that argue the best diet is one that is high is fiber and whole-food plant-based.

            In the third chapter, he considers the problem of motivation.  He brings forth the necessity of repetition, presents good books, several audio books, videos, and authors one can immerse oneself in.  (This is what I mean by jam-packed – Crennen listed dozens of good and helpful books, authors, audio, video, and web resources.  This is extremely useful for a person venturing into what may be uncharted waters of nutritional health.)

            The fourth chapter considers other forms of motivation:  such as a food journal, medical checkups, hypnosis and aversion therapy, coffee and tea, the TOPS club, and dietbet.com.  Different things will motivate different people – the point is to get someone to want to work at being healthy.  (Interestingly, as I read this book, I had been looking into motivational recourses like the last one in this list.)

            He then recommends the National Weight Control Registry as another means of motivation.  In this information, one finds that eating breakfast, eating an unvaried diet, exercise. Watching less TV and weighing oneself frequently assist in losing weight and maintaining healthy eating habits (46-48).

            In the fifth chapter, the reader is introduced to the practice, books, audio books, DVDs, and web sites of Dr. Michael Greger, Dr. Joel Fuhrman, Dr. Dean Ornish, and Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn.  All of whom are major players in the whole-foods plant-based lifestyle.  This chapter directs you to an enormous wealth of information to guide you.

            In the sixth chapter, the author talks about kitchen equipment and includes pictures, so there will be no confusion.

            In the seventh, he does the same for food staples.

            In the eighth, he gives the reader four simple “bowl” recipes which can be modified to preference but give a great guide for how to eat breakfast, lunch, and dinner in this fashion.

            In the final chapter, the reader is introduced to fasting and exercise.  Both of which should be under a doctor’s supervision.  The author helpfully refers the reader to introductory videos on YouTube to get started.

            The book ends with an encouraging postscript.

            This is a great book to introduce someone to the subject and show that you care.  The only thing he might update for a future addition is that there are several places where he says that this person says or this organization says, and there is no reference.  Putting a reference in for all his referred comments would be a boon to the book.

            I am thankful to Christopher Crennen for allowing me to have, review, and read a copy of this book.  As I said, it is jam-packed with all the places to start to understand healthy whole-food plant-based eating.  This is the way I am more-and-more eating and living, and it is making a difference for me.  I applaud the work that went into this book and the author’s care for his readers.

            [This review appears on my blog, my YouTube channel, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com.]

Review: "12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos"

            Jordan B. Peterson’s videos came up as recommended for me on YouTube, so I listened to him – and I really liked what I heard.  One thing that he puts out blatantly in his videos – largely from his psychology classes – is that he is Jungian in his understanding and practice.  I first read Jung in high school and have read a few of his books and think highly of his way of interpreting the world.

From this, I saw recommendations of what is actually his second book, 12 Rules for Life:  An Antidote to Chaos. I have now read it.

One thing to say up front – as I watched his videos, I wondered if he is a Christian.  He speaks of the Christian Scriptures frequently and talks about the stories of the Old and New Testament as being myth to make a point regarding Being.  I don’t know what he actually believes religiously, but don’t expect him to affirm the stories he used as historical.

As you can tell from the title, Peterson will present twelve rules.  Peterson explains that this book began as a post he wrote on Quora answering the question, “What makes life meaningful?” (xxv).

Rule 1: “Stand up straight with your shoulders back.”

Peterson writes a lot about our similarities to lobsters – so be prepared.

“Standing up physically also implies and invokes and demands standing up metaphysically.  Standing up means voluntarily accepting the burden of Being.” “To stand up straight with your shoulders back is to accept the terrible responsibility of life, with eyes wide open” (27).

To confront the world and all that it throws at us, we must physically stand up with our shoulders back, and our Being will follow.

Rule 2: “Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping.”

We don’t belong to ourselves – we did not bring ourselves into Being.  Thus, we owe it to the world to care for ourselves in such a way that we bring order out of chaos – for all our sakes (60-61).

Rule 3: “Make friends with people who want the best for you.”

“You should choose people who want things to be better, not worse.  It’s a good thing, not a selfish thing, to choose people who are good for you” (82).

Rule 4: “Compare yourself to who you were yesterday, not to who someone else is today.”

“…set up the following goal: by the end of the day, I want things in my life to be a tiny bit better than they were this morning.” And also set a small reward for yourself when you achieve it (95-96).

Rule 5: “Do not let your children do anything that makes you dislike them.”

“Children must be shaped and informed, or they cannot thrive” (122).

            Rule 6: “Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world.”

            Begin by stop doing what you know to be wrong (157).

            Rule 7: “Pursue what is meaningful (not what is expedient).”

            The pursuit of what is meaningful encourages our growth, redemption, and reconciliation (201).

Rule 8: “Tell the truth – or, at least, don’t lie.”

“Untruth corrupts the soul and the state alike, and one form of corruption feeds the other” (215).

“In Paradise, everyone speaks the truth.  That’s what makes it Paradise” (230).

Rule 9: “Assume that the person you are listening to might know something you don’t.”

Thinking is a dialogue between two people (241).  You need to listen and be able to summarize the other person’s view (246).

Rule 10: “Be precise in your speech.”

Without precision, you don’t know if you are going towards chaos or where you want to be (282-283).

Rule 11: “Don’t bother children when they are skateboarding.”

The removal of risk is detrimental to the growth of humans – especially boys.  And it makes people much less willing to take responsibility (331).

Rule 12: “Pet a cat when you encounter one on the street.”

Cats are a manifestation of Being “in an almost pure form” and can give us joy in the midst of suffering – if but for a moment (353).

Next follows a “Coda” in which Peterson takes his twelve rules and answers primary questions about what one should do with their life … and so forth.

The book ends with acknowledgements, endnotes, and an extensive index.

Do I totally agree with Peterson?  Absolutely not.  There are a number of times when he gives a Jungian interpretation of something from the Bible and he is way off – and I find it annoying.  Nevertheless, the book as a whole, and his rules, are excellent guidance for anyone who wants to lead a meaningful, worthwhile life that tends to avoid chaos and suffering, which is why I highly recommend it.

            [This review appears on my blog, my YouTube channel, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com.]

"Inviting the Enemy" Sermon: Isaiah 39:1-8 (manuscript)

“Inviting the Enemy”

[Isaiah 39:1-8]

April 19, 2020 YouTube

We return to our look at the book of Isaiah this morning – picking up where we left off – at chapter 39.

 In previous chapters, we see the Assyrian army come against Judah and take her – up to Jerusalem.  King Sennacherib of Assyria sends his Rabshakeh to threaten King Hezekiah of Judah and Jerusalem to get them to give up.  Hezekiah and his chiefs pray for God to deliver them and an angel of the Lord comes through the camp and slaughters 185,000 of Sennacherib’s soldiers.  They return to Nineveh in defeat and, some years later, Sennacherib is murdered by his sons.

At the same time this is happening, Hezekiah is facing a deadly illness, and he asks that God save him.  God hears Hezekiah, and Isaiah tells him that God will heal him and give him fifteen more years of life.

Also, about the same time, the Kingdom of Babylon is growing and becoming a force in the region. And in 703 B. C., Merodach-baladan, the king of Babylon, leads his forces again the armies or Sennacherib and wins a major battle.  Merodach-baladan also gets word that Hezekiah’s God has miraculously slaughtered a segment of Sennacherib’s army and sent him home, also, Hezekiah has been healed of a terminal illness.

As someone who wants to overthrow the Assyrians and become the major player in the region, Merodach-baladan is intrigued about Hezekiah and his God, and he wonders if an alliance might be in the offing.

And we remember, time and time again, God tells the kings of Judah, do not make an alliance with foreign nations, rely on God alone.

And that brings us to this morning’s text, around 702 B. C.

First, pride leads to sin.

“At that time Merodach-baladan the son of Baladan, king of Babylon, sent envoys with letters and a present to Hezekiah, for he heard that he had been sick and had recovered. And Hezekiah welcomed them gladly. And he showed them his treasure house, the silver, the gold, the spices, the precious oil, his whole armory, all that was found in his storehouses. There was nothing in his house or in all his realm that Hezekiah did not show them.”

It is said, “flattery will get you everywhere.”

The king of Babylon sent envoys to King Hezekiah with letters praising him for his victory against the Assyrians and for recovering from a terminal illness. And these letters can with some sort of gift – likely a gift befitting a king – an expensive gift. And Hezekiah welcomed them gladly.

Hezekiah was thankful.  He should have been thankful.  They came with letters that gave thanks for his victory and his recovery.  They gave him an expensive gift.  It was perfectly right for Hezekiah to be thankful.

If you or I go through a terrible time of suffering and show wise leadership and faithfulness to God, it is not wrong for us to accept the thanks and praise of others and even gifts from them – given in thanks for our recovery – for our overcoming insurmountable odds.

But – and Hezekiah probably didn’t say it out loud, but he certainly said it in his heart based on the rest of our text, “You’re right.  I am pretty amazing.  I stood in faith against the Assyrians and defeated them, when no one else in the kingdom could stop their rage.  And then I pulled myself through this terrible disease that everyone told me would be fatal, and here I am, fit as a fiddle.  I really am something.  And the Babylonians have noticed!”

Chapter sixteen of Proverbs begins by talking about how God is the One Who ordains everything that comes to pass, and then we read:

“Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall” (Proverbs 16:18, ESV).

With all the praise and joy and gifts being heaped upon Hezekiah, he forgot where the real power lies.  He forgot the promises of God and what God had done in the life of Judah and in his life. He forgot that he was commanded to do nothing – not to ally with pagan nations.  He was so filled with pride, all he could see was Hezekiah on the top of the cake, and everybody cheering and telling him how great he is.

And so, with the slightest nudge from the members of the envoy – perhaps, “How did you do it your majesty?  How did you defeat Sennacherib and overcome your illness?  What is it about you that makes you so invincible, so wise, so handsome?”

Hezekiah takes them to the national vault, and he lets them go in and count the silver and the gold, weigh out the spices and the precious oil – he allows them to see exactly what the nation has financially to back up his future plans.  And then he takes them to the armory, and he let them check out the tanks and the guns and the rocket launchers and the explosives – he allows them to see exactly how strong his military is.  And he takes them to the storehouses and shows them how much food he has stored up – so they could estimate how long they could be in quarantine and still meet their nutritional needs.

“Pretty amazing, isn’t it.  We have enough financial wealth to fund any project you could think of, enough military strength to defend against any intruder, and enough food to feed the nation if the crops go bad or if we are attacked and lose access to our crops.”

And the envoy thanks Hezekiah and returns to Babylon and reports all these things to their king.

Peter warns his fellow Christians, “Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour” (I Peter 5:8, ESV).

What does it take for you to open up and tell someone – or show someone – something that leaves you vulnerable? What does it take for you to think, God won’t mind this just once – or, maybe what God is clearly saying is not what God is clearly saying? What does it take for you to think, you know, I am pretty impressive – what I did is pretty amazing, I ought to get some acclaim – I ought to let people know that I’m a star?

Hezekiah’s pride got the better of him.  He listened to them fawning over him, he accepted their gifts, and then he left – not only himself – but the entire nation vulnerable to a foreign, pagan nation.

Second, God confronts our sin.

“Then Isaiah the prophet came to King Hezekiah, and said to him, ‘What did these men say? And from where did they come to you?’ Hezekiah said, ‘They have come to me from a far country, from Babylon.’ He said, ‘What have they seen in your house?’ Hezekiah answered, ‘They have seen all that is in my house. There is nothing in my storehouses that I did not show them.’”

And we wish that Isaiah had been wearing a wire and it had been passed down through the ages so we would know the tone of Hezekiah’s responses to Isaiah’s questions. At this point it’s not clear whether Hezekiah responds repentantly or with pride.

Did he give responses pridefully?

Or, did he give responses repentantly?

What we do know is that Isaiah has not been hanging out in the shadows, drooling over the attention that Hezekiah has been getting from the Babylonians, wishing it was he.  No, Isaiah is told by God to march up to Hezekiah and confront him about what he has done.

“Hezekiah, you have given the Babylonians – who are not our allies – you have given this pagan nation all of the information they could ever want to know about Judah.  What do you think God thinks about your consorting with Babylon in this way?  What do you think God thinks about you giving all this information away for some sweet language and an earthly gift?”

As we continue in our text, it is obvious that Hezekiah, if he did not recognize his sin the moment Isaiah arrives, he understands his sin once Isaiah asks him these questions.

No unlike after David takes Bathsheba to be his and sent Uriah, her husband, off to be killed, that Nathan appears and tells David a story about a rich man who steals the one lamb of a poor man, and David’s rage against the man builds, and as Nathan tells David that he is the man, David repentantly crumbles.

God still confronts our sin through His Word, as Paul explains: “What then shall we say? That the law is sin? By no means! Yet if it had not been for the law, I would not have known sin. For I would not have known what it is to covet if the law had not said, ‘You shall not covet’” (Romans 7:7, ESV).

And God has written His Law on our hearts and minds, so we normally know what sin is.  As Christians we certainly know – the author of Hebrews writes:

“For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws into their minds, and write them on their hearts, and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. (Hebrews 8:10, ESV)

            Third, sin leads to a fall.

            “Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, ‘Hear the word of the LORD of hosts: Behold, the days are coming, when all that is in your house, and that which your fathers have stored up till this day, shall be carried to Babylon. Nothing shall be left, says the LORD. And some of your own sons, who will come from you, whom you will father, shall be taken away, and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.’”

            We know that sin carries a price.  And God sends Isaiah to tell Hezekiah what the price will be.

            Two things:

            First, Babylon will attack and conquer Jerusalem and take everything that you showed them back to Babylon as their booty.

            Second, the people of Jerusalem will be taken into captivity – including some of you sons – and your sons will be made into eunuchs to serve in the king’s palace.

            “Hezekiah, your sin – which seemed like nothing to you – is great.  And it will affect the nation, as well as your own family.  But God, in His Mercy – for the sake of His promises, will not bring this to pass in your lifetime.”

            Historically, we know this came to pass in 597 B. C. – just over a hundred years later.

            Our sin has serious consequences – perhaps even far beyond ourselves.  And that is the secondary reason not to sin.  And God is right and just in all of His discipline and punishment that He brings.

            The primary reason not to sin is the Gospel – Who Jesus is and what He has done in history.  If we have been credited with Jesus’ righteousness and He has paid the debt for all our sins and given us the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit, so we are always able to turn from temptation and not sin. If we sin, we are, as R. C. Sproul says, in “cosmic rebellion.”

            “We all do it.”  But how can we do it?  How can we turn from our God and Savior and treat Him so shamefully?  For what?  Other people fawning over us?  A moment of pleasure?  Another dollar in the savings?

            Sin is easy.  But it is always wrong and never for the good.

            How does Hezekiah respond to the news?  Certainly he receives and accepts it as the True Word of God:

“Then Hezekiah said to Isaiah, ‘The word of the LORD that you have spoken is good.’ For he thought, ‘There will be peace and security in my days.’”

Again, we wish we had the tape.  How are we to hear Hezekiah’s internal comment?  Was it thankful acceptance of God’s Mercy towards him?  Or, was there a relief that could be questionable?

Chapter thirty-nine of Isaiah is a major turning point in the book.  Hezekiah’s sin is the final straw that secures Jerusalem being conquered by the Babylonians and the people being taking into captivity for seventy years.

Just as we see God’s Mercy towards Hezekiah in chapter thirty-nine, Lord willing, we will see how God shows mercy and gives hope to the captives during their seventy years away from the Promised Land.

In the meantime, remember God’s word to Cain and do not invite the enemy in:

“If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door. Its desire is contrary to you, but you must rule over it” (Genesis 4:7, ESV).

Let us pray:

Almighty God, we thank You that You are Holy and Just and Merciful.  We thank You that sin must be paid for and that Your Son has paid the debt for all our sins. We ask that You would help us – that You would strengthen us with the power of the Holy Spirit that when temptation to sin is laid before us, we will not let the enemy in, but we will rebuke the devil and he will flee.  Help us to desire to be holy, and give us the strength to become holy, even as You as changing us into the Image of Your Son.  For it is in Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.

"Inviting the Enemy" Sermon: Isaiah 39:1-8 (video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu2KcdEsAxo

Review: "The Gospel"

            Devon and Jessica Robyn Provencher have written and illustrated board books to introduce theology to children up to age three (or maybe a little older).

One book is titled The Gospel.

Using colorful pictures (there are pictures of Jesus for those who have scruples) and succinct text, the child is introduced to why the Gospel is necessary and what the Gospel is.

God created everything. Humans are in the Image of God. Humans engaged in rebellion. That requires punishment. Jesus is God’s Son. Jesus is perfect man. Jesus was sacrificed. Resurrection. A response in called for. Then eternal life.

After each word is highlighted with a two-page picture, there is a sentence explanation, beginning to fill out what exactly is being taught.

This is a wonderful series. Orthodox and well-worded. This is a very approachable way to introduce theology to very young children.

I have a niece who is turning three in August, and I have bought a set of books for her.

            [This review appears on my blog, my YouTube channel, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com.]

Review: "Jesus"

            Devon and Jessica Robyn Provencher have written and illustrated board books to introduce theology to children up to age three (or maybe a little older).

One book is titled Jesus.

Using colorful pictures (there are pictures of Jesus for those who have scruples) and succinct text, the child is introduced to Who Jesus is and what He did.

Jesus is Deity. Jesus in the Incarnation. Jesus is King. Jesus is the Son of God. Jesus is our Rescuer. Jesus is Sinless. Jesus is a Prophet. Jesus is a Priest. Jesus made Atonement. Resurrection.

After each word is highlighted with a two-page picture, there is a sentence explanation, beginning to fill out what exactly is being taught.

This is a wonderful series. Orthodox and well-worded. This is a very approachable way to introduce theology to very young children.

I have a niece who is turning three in August, and I have bought a set of books for her.

            [This review appears on my blog, my YouTube channel, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com.]

Review: "God"

            Devon and Jessica Robyn Provencher have written and illustrated board books to introduce theology to children up to age three (or maybe a little older).

One book is titled God.

Using colorful pictures (not of God Himself, of course!) and succinct text, the child is introduced to some key concepts about God.

God is the Creator of everything. He is the King of all. He exists as Trinity. He is Holy. He is eternal. He is Unchanging. He is Just. He is Good. He is loving. And to Him belongs all glory.

After each word is highlighted with a two-page picture, there is a sentence explanation, beginning to fill out what exactly is being taught.

This is a wonderful series. Orthodox and well-worded. This is a very approachable way to introduce theology to very young children.

I have a niece who is turning three in August, and I have bought a set of books for her.

            [This review appears on my blog, my YouTube channel, Amazon.com, and Goodreads.com.]

"A Physical Resurrection" Sermon: Acts 10:34-43 (video)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4aR_rxNTk9Y

"A Physical Resurrection" Sermon: Acts 10:34-43 (manuscript)

“A Physical Resurrection”

[Acts 10:34-43]

April 12, 2020 YouTube

            Today is Easter.  It is the day on the Christian calendar that we celebrate Jesus’ rising from the dead.  What does that mean?  And why should we care?

            If you ask the average person on the street – or even in the church – if Jesus rose from the dead, you will get several different answers:

            “No. Jesus didn’t rise from the dead – dead people don’t rise from the dead, except in movies.”

            “Yes.  Jesus rose from the dead, and what that means is that His spirit lives on.”

            “Yes. Jesus rose from the dead, and that means that He lives on in the minds of those who think His message is valuable.”

            “Yes.  Jesus rose from the dead.  The same physical person Who was put to death on the cross came back to life and never died again.”

            Our text this morning takes place after Peter has met Cornelius, the Gentile centurion who came to believe in Jesus savingly.  At this point, Peter understands that the Gospel is not just for the Jews, but it is for the Gentiles as well.

            Peter has some important things to tell us in our text.

            First, the Gospel is for all peoples.

“So Peter opened his mouth and said: ‘Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right is acceptable to him.’

Peter originally thought – as others did – that the Gospel – what the Savior – the Messiah does – is just for the Jews – the chosen of Israel.  But Peter – with others – misunderstood God’s choice of the Jewish people as the ones through whom the Law and the Prophets and the Savior was given to mean it was only for the Jews – that the Gentiles – the non-Jews – were cut off.

But God tells Abraham, the father of the Jewish people:

“I will surely bless you, and I will surely multiply your offspring as the stars of heaven and as the sand that is on the seashore. And your offspring shall possess the gate of his enemies, and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice” (Genesis 22:17-18, ESV).

And in the text preceding the one we read, God gives Peter a vision of a net full of all kinds of food that are not kosher and tells him to eat – shrimp and lobster and bats and so forth.  Peter objects, and God tells Peter that God sets the rules as to who is clean and unclean, and Peter better go preach the Gospel to Cornelius.

And Peter learns – and preaches from then on – that the Gospel is for every type of people that ever exist – Africans, Italians, Greenlanders, Spaniards, Chinese, and every other type of people throughout time and space.

And everyone who hears the Gospel and believes – fearing God and doing what is right – will be received into the Kingdom of God.

Second, this is the Gospel.

‘As for the word that he sent to Israel, preaching good news of peace through Jesus Christ (he is Lord of all), you yourselves know what happened throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee after the baptism that John proclaimed: how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him. And we are witnesses of all that he did both in the country of the Jews and in Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree, but God raised him on the third day and made him to appear, not to all the people but to us who had been chosen by God as witnesses, who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead.’

How would you answer the question, what is the Gospel?

I know someone who says that the Gospel is financial equality among all people. 

Peter and Paul – among others – disagree.

The Gospel is what Jesus did in history.  Period.  That’s what Peter says here.

Paul similarly says:

“For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep. Then he appeared to James, then to all the apostles. Last of all, as to one untimely born, he appeared also to me” (I Corinthians 15:3-8, ESV).

The Gospel is what Jesus did in history.  Period.

And what does Peter say Jesus did in history?

Jesus (Who is God – notice the use of the word “Lord”) was baptized by John the Baptist, and God baptized Jesus with the indwelling of God the Holy Spirit and with power.  He went all around doing good and healing those oppressed by the devil.  Then He was taken, crucified and died, but God raised Him from the dead on the third day.  Jesus was seen by lots of people after His resurrection, and Jesus ate and drank with them after He was raised from the dead.

And that last point is extremely important:  Jesus ate and drank with them.

And some might think, “Well, who cares if Jesus had lunch, isn’t the point that He was dead and now He is alive?”

Yes, but – why did Jesus eat and drink with them?

Jesus – God in the real human person of Jesus – ate and drank with many people after His resurrection to assure the people who saw Him and talked with Him that He physically rose from the dead.  He is not a ghost or a spirit.  He is not a hallucination or some projection of a memory. No, the real human being, Jesus, Who was crucified and died three days earlier is now physically alive again.  Jesus condescended to them and ate and drank to prove He was really the same physical human being Who had died three days before.

So, third, we proclaim a physical resurrection.

‘And he commanded us to preach to the people and to testify that he is the one appointed by God to be judge of the living and the dead. To him all the prophets bear witness that everyone who believes in him receives forgiveness of sins through his name.’”

All believers are to tell everyone that Jesus physically rose from the dead on Easter.  He is the judge of the living and the dead.  He is the fulfillment of the prophecies of the Old Testament.  And if you believe the Gospel – the historical facts about Jesus – including that He physically rose from the dead – the same body that they put dead into the tomb is the body that was alive three days later – if you believe in Him with your heart and mind and confess Him with your mouth – as God and Savior – your sins will be forgiven – and He has prepared a place for you in His Kingdom.

And some will wonder, “OK, but what if He didn’t physically rise from the dead, how would that change anything?  Jesus lived to make us righteous and died to pay the debt for our sin.  Does a physical resurrection really add anything?”

Paul says:

“And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied” (I Corinthians 14:15-19, ESV).

Paul says, if Jesus did not physically rise from the dead, then believing in Jesus is useless, because He did not fulfill the prophecies that said He would physically rise from the dead.

“God raised him up, loosing the pangs of death, because it was not possible for him to be held by it. For David says concerning him, ‘I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken; therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; my flesh also will dwell in hope. For you will not abandon my soul to Hades, or let your Holy One see corruption. You have made known to me the paths of life; you will make me full of gladness with your presence’” (Acts 2:24-28, ESV).

            If Jesus did not physically rise from the dead, then believers will not be physically raised from the dead.  God will fail to save our whole selves – our bodies that God declared “good” in the Garden.  God will fail to save us.  Rather, we will rot in the ground, or fly away as ash, or turn to dust in a wall – but we will not be saved – we will lose a very important and substantial part of who we are.

            “OK, but what exactly will we be like?  Jesus’ wounds didn’t bleed after the resurrection, but He could eat and drink.  Jesus was not immediately recognized by His closet followers, but with a word or a touch they knew it was Him in the flesh.”

            Paul writes:

“Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

            “Death is swallowed up in victory.”

            “O death, where is your victory? O death, where is your sting?”

            “The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ” (I Corinthians 15:51-57, ESV).

            Jesus physically rose from the dead in the same human body that was put in the grave three days earlier.  Since He did, our salvation is secured – Jesus fulfilled all of the prophecies regarding our salvation and His work – and when Jesus returns to judge the living and the dead, every one of us will be raised in the physical body in which we lived.  Then we will be received into the fulness of the Kingdom and put on immortality.  We will eat and drink and be with Jesus and all those who ever believe in His Kingdom where sin and death and sorrow are past.

            “But what exactly happens to us?”

            Thanks be to God, Who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ, Who walked out of the tomb in the same body His mother, Mary, gave birth to some thirty-three years earlier.

            Let us pray:

            Almighty God, we thank You for raising Jesus in His physical body, so the prophecies would be fulfilled, our salvation would be secured, and we would see that to be like Jesus means to have a physical body.  Help us to tell others the history of Jesus – the Gospel – including His physical resurrection.  And be pleased to draw many to Yourself for salvation.  For it is in Jesus’ Name we pray, Amen.