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The Pride of Babylon
Isaiah 14:1–22 ESV
1 For the Lord will have compassion on Jacob and will again choose Israel, and will set them in their own land, and sojourners will join them and will attach themselves to the house of Jacob. 2 And the peoples will take them and bring them to their place, and the house of Israel will possess them in the Lord’s land as male and female slaves. They will take captive those who were their captors, and rule over those who oppressed them.
3 When the Lord has given you rest from your pain and turmoil and the hard service with which you were made to serve, 4 you will take up this taunt against the king of Babylon:
“How the oppressor has ceased,
the insolent fury ceased!
5 The Lord has broken the staff of the wicked,
the scepter of rulers,
6 that struck the peoples in wrath
with unceasing blows,
that ruled the nations in anger
with unrelenting persecution.
7 The whole earth is at rest and quiet;
they break forth into singing.
8 The cypresses rejoice at you,
the cedars of Lebanon, saying,
‘Since you were laid low,
no woodcutter comes up against us.’
9 Sheol beneath is stirred up
to meet you when you come;
it rouses the shades to greet you,
all who were leaders of the earth;
it raises from their thrones
all who were kings of the nations.
10 All of them will answer
and say to you:
‘You too have become as weak as we!
You have become like us!’
11 Your pomp is brought down to Sheol,
the sound of your harps;
maggots are laid as a bed beneath you,
and worms are your covers.
12 “How you are fallen from heaven,
O Day Star, son of Dawn!
How you are cut down to the ground,
you who laid the nations low!
13 You said in your heart,
‘I will ascend to heaven;
above the stars of God
I will set my throne on high;
I will sit on the mount of assembly
in the far reaches of the north;
14 I will ascend above the heights of the clouds;
I will make myself like the Most High.’
15 But you are brought down to Sheol,
to the far reaches of the pit.
16 Those who see you will stare at you
and ponder over you:
‘Is this the man who made the earth tremble,
who shook kingdoms,
17 who made the world like a desert
and overthrew its cities,
who did not let his prisoners go home?’
18 All the kings of the nations lie in glory,
each in his own tomb;
19 but you are cast out, away from your grave,
like a loathed branch,
clothed with the slain, those pierced by the sword,
who go down to the stones of the pit,
like a dead body trampled underfoot.
20 You will not be joined with them in burial,
because you have destroyed your land,
you have slain your people.
“May the offspring of evildoers
nevermore be named!
21 Prepare slaughter for his sons
because of the guilt of their fathers,
lest they rise and possess the earth,
and fill the face of the world with cities.”
22 “I will rise up against them,” declares the Lord of hosts, “and will cut off from Babylon name and remnant, descendants and posterity,” declares the Lord.
Introduction
In chapter 12, Isaiah promised that God's covenant people would experience "that day" where they would experience the salvation and restoration power of God's grace. And in response, Israel would declare the praises of God and share this with the nations. Chapter 14 continues the thought of God being declared among the nations. In the next sermons, we will look at some of God's prophecies concerning these nations. Today we begin looking at God's word concerning Babylon.
These words of Isaiah toward Babylon occur during the Neo-Babylonian period. God used Babylonian power under Nebuchadnezzar to take the Southern kingdom of Judah into exile. This is the period about which we read the experiences of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.
One might wonder why God would use the power of a non-believing nation to judge the covenant people of God. God foretold this occurrence many generations before. As the early ancestors of Israel entered the promised land, God restated the covenant agreement to which he promised judgment for unfaithfulness and rebellion.
Deuteronomy 28:64–65 ESV
64 “And the Lord will scatter you among all peoples, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you shall serve other gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known. 65 And among these nations you shall find no respite, and there shall be no resting place for the sole of your foot, but the Lord will give you there a trembling heart and failing eyes and a languishing soul.
Although the punishment was severe, God would ultimately bring back the people. The remnant people would experience the mighty hand of God once again in mercy and grace. But what about the non-believing nation that God used to judge Israel? Scripture consistently reminds us that God is just and would judge all people according to his holiness. Babylon and other nations would also experience judgment for their rebellion. In anticipation of that day, God sent a message to Judah concerning their enemies in the next section of Isaiah. This came in the form of a series of prophetic judgment upon these nations.
The Promised Reversal
These opening verses, 1-3, echo the sentiment of chapter 12. God's compassion toward Israel is the only reason they receive salvation. They do not deserve it, nor have they earned it. When we look at the gospel of Jesus Christ, we see the same concept. Last week we read from Ephesians 2 that reminded us that we were all children of wrath because of our sin and God’s holiness. But God had mercy upon us.
Ephesians 2:4–10 ESV
4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— 6 and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, 7 so that in the coming ages he might show the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. 8 For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast. 10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.
The verses of Isaiah 14 anticipate the great day when God through Jesus Christ would reverse the curse of sin and bring us to the family of God. The gospel is the great reversal of the human condition.
• From children of wrath to adopted children sealed by the Holy Spirit of God
• From foreigners to citizens of Zion where the Lord dwells
• From being an outcast to have the privilege to enter the throne of grace with confidence
• From hopelessness to faith-filled hope in God’s merciful love.
The Taunts against Babylon
The prophecy against Babylon is a masterpiece of literature. Let's look at the outline of the message.
• In verses 4-6 we hear the response of a redeemed Israel concerning their oppressor Babylon. Israel recognizes the true power of God in breaking the power that Babylon had over them. Babylon was a tool of discipline but they too would receive God's judgment.
• In verses 7 and 8, the earth and nature add their voice to the growing chorus against Babylon. The earth begins to sing. The trees that were once cut down as resources for the conquering empire now rejoice. They rejoice because they are no longer at risk of seeing the woodcutter's ax.
• In verses 9-11, those past rulers of great power give their welcoming voice from Sheol (the Old Testament term that describes death and the afterlife). The dead, (shades), are stirred up to greet the newcomer Babylon. However, their greeting is quite cynical as they welcome Babylon to the grave.
A Falling Star
The next section describes the issue of Babylon’s pride. Babylon ascended to power but also descended into judgment. Like the law of gravity, what goes up, will come down. Babylon was filled with the pride of their success and ability. Daniel 4 tells us of the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar who invaded Judah, took sacred items from the temple, destroyed the temple, and deported many people to Babylon. He seemed "successful" as the powerful ruler of an empire, but he failed to recognize his position in God's history. Read about the judgment he experienced due to pride in Daniel 4.
Daniel 4:28–33 ESV
28 All this came upon King Nebuchadnezzar. 29 At the end of twelve months he was walking on the roof of the royal palace of Babylon, 30 and the king answered and said, “Is not this great Babylon, which I have built by my mighty power as a royal residence and for the glory of my majesty?” 31 While the words were still in the king’s mouth, there fell a voice from heaven, “O King Nebuchadnezzar, to you it is spoken: The kingdom has departed from you, 32 and you shall be driven from among men, and your dwelling shall be with the beasts of the field. And you shall be made to eat grass like an ox, and seven periods of time shall pass over you, until you know that the Most High rules the kingdom of men and gives it to whom he will.” 33 Immediately the word was fulfilled against Nebuchadnezzar. He was driven from among men and ate grass like an ox, and his body was wet with the dew of heaven till his hair grew as long as eagles’ feathers, and his nails were like birds’ claws.
However, King Nebuchadnezzar repented and experienced God's mercy. But this attitude pervaded the heart of the Babylonian Empire. Those who raise themselves above God will be brought low. They would not experience a long-lasting heritage. The Neo-Babylonian empire lasted for approximately 88 years only to be overtaken by the next world empire known as the Medo-Persian Empire. The message toward Babylon concluded with God declaring that He will fight against them. God would judge the prideful empire.
Words for Life
The words of God concerning Babylon serve the purpose of encouraging and correcting the last kings of Judah. From his first message to King Ahaz to King Hezekiah's last, Isaiah gave the message to remain faithful to God and live in humble obedience. When the surrounding nations threatened Judah, Isaiah warned them not to fear because God would protect them. He would be the True King for Israel when human kings and power threatened their lives. In the moments of fear, Israel was commanded not to look to the nations for their security and hope. The truth is that any nation they relied upon, including themselves, would eventually fail. Why put your future trust in something that will eventually prove to fail? Only God will stand the test of time. He is faithful. He is mighty to save. He is able.
For the people who eventually entered the Exile period, these words served as a reminder that God will act toward them in mercy and once again bring them salvation. But they had to wait upon the Lord. They had to place their trust fully in God. Although their exile was a measure of discipline, God would reverse it. They must live in faith and obedience. If God makes a promise, He will keep it and fulfill it in His proper time. All we must do is wait in obedient expectation.
When we consider our current situation, we, too, must remember the faithful and prophetic words of Isaiah. We trust in God, for He will preserve us and provide for us even in the worst of situations. We will not look to any person nor any potential power for our hope. Our hope is in the Lord alone.
Human power and leadership are temporary. The powers of today are not given an eternal place. They will rise and fall, some more quickly than others. Never place your future in the hands of a party, a political leader or power, or anything else. Your only hope is in God. On Christ the Solid Rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand. A change of influence and power will never change the human heart. Make sure your heart is surrendered to God alone. Trust Him and fear no one.
Words of Warning
Even though the Babylonian Empire lasted a short while, the New Testament scriptures use Babylon as a symbol to describe those whose hearts are prideful and stand in opposition to God's will.
1 Peter 5:13 - "She who is at Babylon" was the apostle Peter's way of referring to the church in Rome, a city which had become as immoral and idolatrous as ancient Babylon. Just as that ancient cultural center had oppressed the Judean exiles, so Rome was now persecuting the Christians living there.
Elwell, Walter A., and Barry J. Beitzel. "Babylon, Babylonia." Baker encyclopedia of the Bible 1988 : 250. Print.
In the book of Revelations, Babylon is again used to describe Rome and future powers that would set themselves against God and His people. And God still promised that the persecuted believers would again see God take the high powers that threatened them and bring them down to nothing.
Pride is not the problem just for leaders and world powers. It is a problem for the believer today.
Pride refers to an unwarranted attitude of confidence .... it is often used in Scripture to refer to an unhealthy elevated view of oneself, abilities, or possessions.
Williams, William A. "Pride." Ed. Douglas Mangum et al. Lexham Theological Wordbook 2014 : n. pag. Print. Lexham Bible Reference Series
.
In Paul's letter to Timothy, he lists pride as one of the key characteristics of those in the last days, which we are in now. The prideful heart will never let God be God. Human pride is evident in the first sin of humanity and repeated in every other sin. Sin says, "My will be done."
The cure for pride is humility. We must humble ourselves before God lest we discover that God casts us down because of our pride. Humility is the proper attitude toward receiving God's grace.
Let us follow the words of James.
James 4:6–10 ESV
6 But he gives more grace. Therefore it says, “God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” 7 Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. 8 Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded. 9 Be wretched and mourn and weep. Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. 10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will exalt you.
• What areas in your life might show a sinful pride?
• What might God want you to do concerning these?
• What can we learn from the example of Christ who humbled himself and became obedient to death upon the cross? Philippians 2?
A Word of Warning
Isaiah 22:1–14 ESV
1 The oracle concerning the valley of vision.
What do you mean that you have gone up,
all of you, to the housetops,
2 you who are full of shoutings,
tumultuous city, exultant town?
Your slain are not slain with the sword
or dead in battle.
3 All your leaders have fled together;
without the bow they were captured.
All of you who were found were captured,
though they had fled far away.
4 Therefore I said:
“Look away from me;
let me weep bitter tears;
do not labor to comfort me
concerning the destruction of the daughter of my people.”
5 For the Lord God of hosts has a day
of tumult and trampling and confusion
in the valley of vision,
a battering down of walls
and a shouting to the mountains.
6 And Elam bore the quiver
with chariots and horsemen,
and Kir uncovered the shield.
7 Your choicest valleys were full of chariots,
and the horsemen took their stand at the gates.
8 He has taken away the covering of Judah.
In that day you looked to the weapons of the House of the Forest, 9 and you saw that the breaches of the city of David were many. You collected the waters of the lower pool, 10 and you counted the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall. 11 You made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you did not look to him who did it, or see him who planned it long ago.
12 In that day the Lord God of hosts
called for weeping and mourning,
for baldness and wearing sackcloth;
13 and behold, joy and gladness,
killing oxen and slaughtering sheep,
eating flesh and drinking wine.
“Let us eat and drink,
for tomorrow we die.”
14 The Lord of hosts has revealed himself in my ears:
“Surely this iniquity will not be atoned for you until you die,”
says the Lord God of hosts.
An Oracle
An oracle is a divine message given by God to people. In the Old Testament, the oracles from God fall into two categories: judgment or salvation. In this section, God has a message of judgment as God's response to the people of Jerusalem's unfaithful acts.
During King Hezekiah's reign, the Southern Kingdom of Judah experienced multiple threats from invading nations, namely Israel and Assyria. Even though these nations succeeded in smaller attacks, they never overthrew the Southern Kingdom. Isaiah might be recalling one of these successful events when he mentions the celebrations on the rooftops. Verses 1 and 2 remind us that their celebration was greatly misguided. Judah would eventually experience a terrible future because of their self-reliant attitude and rebellion.
Isaiah's calling as a prophet was not always a joyful experience. At times, he had to deliver serious messages of warning and judgment to people. When giving this message, Isaiah wept bitterly because his people would experience the consequences of their sin. The pain ran deep in his heart because this situation could have been avoided had the people humbled themselves and turned toward God.
The Valley of Vision
When we imagine a valley, we often think of a positive image of beauty or serenity, but this Valley is not. The Valley of Vision is Jerusalem and describes what will happen to the inhabitants should they persist in their sin. It will be filled with great trouble, chaos, and destruction. But the real tragedy is that the people could have avoided this through repentance and heeding God's warning.
Try to recall how many warnings that come your way in an average week. We find warnings on labels, road signs, and posters. All these came about because a certain activity or use of an item was connected with a negative outcome. The warning is meant to keep us safe. Most of us ignore the warnings like, "Do not microwave", "Speed Limit 65 MPH", or often-overlooked warning of "Do Not Insert into Ear Canal" on the Q-Tip package. Why do we ignore it? Because we have found a way to be "safe" and not get injured, or we concluded that it probably won't hurt us this time.
When God gives a warning, we can be assured that if we continue to ignore it, we will suffer the consequences indeed. Isaiah's harsh messages were meant to stir the human heart toward awakening to the fact that they are on a dangerous path. This dangerous road is called self-reliance. When Judah faced the invading countries' threats, they quickly resorted to their natural resources and abilities to solve their problems and preserve themselves.
- They gathered the stockpile of weapons from the House of the Forest (a location in the Temple named because of the many pillars it had).
- They gathered water supplies for securing the future of the city.
- They took apart their houses to get materials to fortify the damaged walls.
God scolded the people for these actions because they did so to be self-reliant instead of God-reliant. And as a result of their self-reliance, they developed dangerous false confidence.
The Sin of Self-Reliance
We may find it odd that God considers self-reliance a sin when our culture often applauds it. In global economics, it seems to make good sense to be self-reliant. When it comes to personal economics, it is always a good idea to be prepared to take care of yourself because you don't want to burden your family or society. We might be surprised to discover that God does not expect us to be self-reliant. Let's look at what God expects from His covenant people.
When God brought Israel out of slavery in Egypt, he promised to take them to a land flowing with milk and honey. It took them 40 years to finally get there, but God provided all their needs during those years. He provided water, bread, and meat in the desert. He guided them with a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. Their shoes did not wear out. They survived battles and attacks because God fought for them. Think about the Sabbath day, when all other nations worked seven days a week. God commanded His people to rest from work in faith that God would provide all their needs. When they entered the land, God continued to promise His provisions. But he reminded them that He would remove His hand of blessing if they were rebellious.
The Vine and The Branches
When we look at the life that God has for those who are His people, we find that He demands that we entrust everything in our lives to Him. This includes our daily provisions and our future. Judah people assumed that they were in charge and could cause their future to be safe and secure apart from submitting to God. This is the sin of self-reliance.
Christ taught his disciples about the futility of self-reliance in John 15.
John 15:1–8 ESV
1 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.
In this illustration, we see that Christians are to live in complete dependence upon God for all things. Matthew 6:33-34.
The believer is called to live in the Vine, Jesus. A fruitless branch proves that it is not connected to the Vine and is cut off. Therefore, our Christian life will look like we are constantly going to God for all our needs, our questions, our hopes, and all our worries. We fully depend upon the Vine for life. Apart from Him, all life is futile.
What do we do if God does it all for us? Doesn't that seem too passive of a life? We need to understand that God has a domain where only He can bring change, and He gives us a domain of cooperation and obedience that we can participate in. He gives us the "possible" to manage, and He is in charge of the "impossible". And when it comes to our plans and preparation for the future, we can make plans and prepare for the future. However, we are not counting on these things to provide for us. We submit them to God, who has the final say. The reason for this is that anything not from God will fail. If we have learned anything from this past year, it should be that the future can be so unpredictable that even our best preparation will fail. Instead, we submit all things to God and leave the future to Him.
James 4:13–16 ESV
13 Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go into such and such a town and spend a year there and trade and make a profit”— 14 yet you do not know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little time and then vanishes. 15 Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wills, we will live and do this or that.” 16 As it is, you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.
Our preparation is made subject to God's plans. This is how we avoid the sin of self-reliance. We place God on His proper throne of our lives and let Him bring the outcome as He wills. We don't prefer this because it takes all the power out of our hands, and we give it all to God. We dare not boast in ourselves or the things we have done, and we only boast in the power of our God. Our God is able.
The Blessing of God-Reliance
Living in a God-reliant manner is the only way that we are called to live. It requires us to remove ourselves from the foundation and build our lives upon the foundation laid in Christ. It requires us to act in obedience and wisdom but leave the results to God’s sovereignty. While it leaves us no room to be in control, it does provide us the amazing blessing of hope and confidence in God. Think about the powerful witness of the faith statement that Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego had when they chose to trust God and not give into solving their death threats with self-reliance. They chose to obey God and let God determine the results of their reliance upon Him. And consider the words of Paul who wrote this in Philippians 4.
Philippians 4:11–13 ESV
11 Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. 12 I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. 13 I can do all things through him who strengthens me.
When we let go of self-reliance, God enables us to have a different outlook. It is the voice of faith and trust. Trust God and leave the results to Him. Let us live this dependent life. Let us rely heavily upon our God and cooperate in obedience with the wisdom He gives us. In doing this, we will find the blessings of trusting the Almighty God.
Leaning On The Everlasting Arms
What a fellowship what a joy divine
Leaning on the everlasting arms
What a blessedness what a peace is mine
Leaning on the everlasting arms
O how sweet to walk in this pilgrim way
Leaning on the everlasting arms
O how bright the path grows from day to day
Leaning on the everlasting arms
What have I to dread what have I to fear
Leaning on the everlasting arms
I have blessed peace with my Lord so near
Leaning on the everlasting arms
Chorus
Leaning (leaning on Jesus)
Leaning (leaning on Jesus)
Safe and secure from all alarms
Leaning (leaning on Jesus)
Leaning (leaning on Jesus)
Leaning on the everlasting arms
Anthony Johnson Showalter & Elisha Albright Hoffman
In That Day
Isaiah 12:1–6 ESV
1 You will say in that day:
“I will give thanks to you, O Lord,
for though you were angry with me,
your anger turned away,
that you might comfort me.
2 “Behold, God is my salvation;
I will trust, and will not be afraid;
for the Lord God is my strength and my song,
and he has become my salvation.”
3 With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. 4 And you will say in that day:
“Give thanks to the Lord,
call upon his name,
make known his deeds among the peoples,
proclaim that his name is exalted.
5 “Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously;
let this be made known in all the earth.
6 Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion,
for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.”
Introduction
When we consider Isaiah's time, we learn that Israel was a divided people in conflict. The Northern Kingdom conspired with Assyria to defeat the Southern Kingdom. God sent Isaiah to speak to the Southern Kingdom's kings to remind them to keep their obedience and trust toward God. The enemies that they feared would not be around forever, for God would deal justly with them. But the Southern Kingdom had to face the other enemy, which was their sinful rebellion and mistrust of God. Ultimately, both kingdoms experienced God's discipline and judgment through exile. Exile was not the final goal. God would leave a remnant in the land and ultimately bring the people back to the land and a right relationship with God. Chapter twelve is rather short, but it contains two sections that look forward to the future day when God's people will properly respond to their salvation.
In That Day
The people of Isaiah's day would see bits of God's plans revealed, but they awaited a future day. They waited upon the Lord, which is a term that implies more than just enduring a time period. It emphasizes trust and reliance upon God to act in His way and in His time. God promised a future king, the root of Jesse, who would reign in righteousness. God fulfilled that promise in the days of Jesus Christ some 700 years later. Future generations would await and see the promised fulfilled. We as believers stand in that line of people who wait upon the Lord. We receive Jesus as the Christ and King, but we await the future date of his second coming. We too await that day when we will experience the full redemption and know God face to face. In response, we worship, trust, joy, and a declaration to the nations that God is great.
Anger and Salvation
The reason for the praise is because God has turned his anger away. The Bible is consistent at informing us that God expresses wrath and anger. Why does God express this? God's anger is the proper response toward human sin and forsaking God's covenant. From a modern perspective, one might feel the need to reduce or eliminate the concept of wrath or anger. Those who have anger issues need to control their anger lest they become destructive toward things or people. Is God out of control when He expresses anger? No. God is holy and properly responds to sin and rebellion without sinning. Unlike us, God can be perfectly angry and remain just, holy, and in control. God's anger is toward sin and the result that sin has upon our relationship with Him. Sin separates us from God. God responds to the sin of his created beings with anger and wrath but also extends his mercy toward them. He provides a way for them to be made right again. This is the big story of the Bible.
Can we have an accurate understanding of the Gospel without the concept of God's wrath? God's salvation from wrath is an essential element of the Gospel. If God were not holy, we would not need salvation. But since he is holy and we are sinful, Christ became the solution to restore us back to righteousness so that we might know God on God's terms. If we remove it, we will miss an essential element of understanding Jesus upon the cross. Ephesians 2:1-5.
Ephesians 2:1–5 ESV
1 And you were dead in the trespasses and sins 2 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— 3 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. 4 But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, 5 even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—
In recent times, various groups within Christianity have de-emphasized the notion of God's wrath toward sin in favor of a message that makes the Gospel mostly a way to improve one's personal life. Peace with God becomes secondary to personal prosperity. In this Gospel, God is not so much holy as He is a motivator calling us to be our best and have the best in life. As a result, one's life becomes self-centered rather than God-centered.
God's wrath and anger, put in biblical perspective, give us the foundation for the proper response toward God's salvation acts. But more profoundly, the wrath of God serves to remind people that God wishes their best and is willing to take physical action to inhibit the self-destructiveness of human rebellion. Said another way, God's wrath is the twin of God's mercy. Mercy without correction is mere permission, and mere permission never has the person's best interests in mind. God's wrath, then, is God's mercy. And God's mercy is, because of the nature of God's love, sometimes made known in God's punishment of wrongdoing and wrongdoers.
Praise and Joy
This first section of praise emphasizes that God has performed the salvation act. He is the root cause of salvation and preservation for the believer. The believer reflects upon the acts of God and expresses their devotion to God and praise. God's wrath is turned into salvation, which results in his people receiving comfort. This comfort results in a reinforced trust that causes the believer to not be overwhelmed by fear. If God is the only one we are to fear, and if He is for us, what fear exists that can separate us from the love of God? The answer is - nothing.
Some translations use praise or give thanks. This term combines this concept:
Praise and thanksgiving in the OT and NT involve both personal and corporate prayer, musical expression, singing, exhortation, exaltation, and literary expressions of gratitude and worship to God for who he is and for what he has done for creation, his covenant people, and ultimately for every tribe, nation, and tongue of the world through Jesus Christ.
Frederick, John. "Praise and Thanksgiving." Ed. Douglas Mangum et al. Lexham Theological Wordbook 2014 : n. pag. Print. Lexham Bible Reference Series.
Isaiah speaks of drawing water joyfully from the well of salvation. Water in those days was a greater challenge than our modern civilization. One retrieved water either from a nearby body of water or from the many deep wells tapped into the groundwater. As you could imagine, getting water was a daily task for life. But this well of salvation is not approached with complaint or struggle. The term joy carries the concept of jubilation and celebration. The picture is of one who gathers the water with joy because it is a gift from God.
The encounter of Jesus with the Woman at the Well in John 4 gives us a great example of what is meant in verse 3. The Samaritan Woman came to draw water during the middle of the day. Jesus intentionally started a conversation with her, crossing cultural boundaries. He asked for water but then changed the conversation to spiritual truth. He offered living water. John 4:10-15
John 4:10–15 ESV
10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” 11 The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw water with, and the well is deep. Where do you get that living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob? He gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did his sons and his livestock.” 13 Jesus said to her, “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks of the water that I will give him will never be thirsty again. The water that I will give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water, so that I will not be thirsty or have to come here to draw water.”
Later in the conversation, Jesus revealed to her that He was the Christ and the way to the Father. This woman experienced the fulfillment of Isaiah 12. She encountered the one who is the Christ, the salvation of God.
Proper Response
The second section of this prophecy also points to a future date of praise and thanks toward God. The first section is a personal response to God, but the second section is a public expression with those who are saved and those who do not know the One True God. The praise and thanks are not just an internal sentiment but a public expression toward God. It is seen, heard, and shared. The verses give distinct commands to the redeemed people to make their response visible. Those who experience the salvation of God respond in three ways:
1. Praise - Give Thanks
One of my favorite elements of our worship is to hear what we are grateful for. The kids are the most entertaining. They sometimes thank God for simple things like food and toys, but they often are grateful for the deeper things like family and relationships. They usually have this attitude because of what kind of environment the parents have provided for them. The environment need not be one of great luxury. All that is needed are things like love, forgiveness, communication, and empathy. What causes you to be thankful to God? Do you remember among the simple things of daily provision to recall His mercy toward you in bringing you into a relationship of peace? Is the cross part of your repertoire of thanksgiving? Is the forgiveness of your sins included in your understanding of what God has done for you? Redeemed people naturally respond with thankful hearts.
2. Prayer
Prayer is connected to our response to praise. When we experience God's grace, we do not consider some lucky experience, but rather God's direct result in our lives. Our prayers are directed toward God. We call on His Name, the name that He has revealed in His word. We call on Him in the manner He has chosen to reveal to us. How do we approach the Holy God? We do so, only through Christ and His finished work upon the cross.
Recently, Congressman Emanuel Cleaver opened the first session of congress with a prayer that caused a stir. Many rightly pointed out the ridiculous ending of his prayer, "A-men and a-woman." The word "amen" literally means truly, or so be it, yet he used the play on words to highlight the recent removal of gendered language. However, that is not what should cause us concern for a person who has the background of an ordained Methodist minister. Let's look at the terms he used to identify the one to which the prayer is given.
Unfortunately, we will see more of this as people, churches, and leaders take the path of being woke, politically correct, or mainstream. Don't fall for the lie. Call upon the name of the Lord alone.
3. Proclamation
The third response is to state or announce formally the deeds and reputation of God to the world. It is not enough to declare the deeds of God among those who already believe. God desires for His people to make Him known to those who have yet to believe. God's desire is not toward punishment, even though He must and will punish sin. He desires to see people repent. Consider the message that Jonah received to give to Nineveh. Jonah did not want to give the message of destruction to Nineveh because he knew that they might repent from their sin, and God would not send destructive judgment. Those who receive salvation and draw water from the well of salvation are instructed to share it with others. The woman at the well in John 4 did this exactly. She went back to her Samaritan village and proclaimed that Jesus was the Christ.
John 4:39–42 ESV
39 Many Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman’s testimony, “He told me all that I ever did.” 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they asked him to stay with them, and he stayed there two days. 41 And many more believed because of his word. 42 They said to the woman, “It is no longer because of what you said that we believe, for we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this is indeed the Savior of the world.”
Sing and Shout
This section of prophecy mentions songs and singing multiple times. Why is singing so important to the life of the believer? Singing is part of God's design for the human expression of our deepest emotions. The song can be the most intimate communication between two people. Singing was also a way to share the stories of God's actions toward His people. The song became the personal story of God's goodness toward an individual. In this section, singing and shouting are part of our public proclamation. This is why the voice of the church must not be silenced in the midst of the overzealous actions of the government. We observe common-sense precautions, but we must not remain silent.
Singing and shouting are the responsibility of those who are inhabitants of Zion. Zion is the eternal symbol of God's presence. Those who are in Christ are the people of Zio and they have a new identity that goes beyond physical appearance or ability, our ethnicity or gender, our age, or intellectual capabilities. If we seek our personal worth and identity outside of Zion, we will forever wander the desolate and ever-changing lands of culture.
We must not forget the last command to shout. The term comes from a word that is used to describe the loud neighing sound of a horse. This verse reminds us that it is OK and proper for us to make a loud noise unto our God. Let us not lift our voices in mere disgust for the current situation in our country. Rather, let us call upon the name of the Lord and declare our trust in Him. Let us live out loud.
What, then, is the essence of Worship? It is the celebration of God! When we worship God, we celebrate Him: we extol Him, we sound His praises, we boast in Him…As a thoughtful gift is a celebration of a birthday, as a special evening out is a celebration of an anniversary, as a warm eulogy is a celebration of a life, as a sexual embrace is a celebration of a marriage - so a worship service is a celebration of God.
Ronald Allen, Worship: Rediscovering the Missing Jewel