We are in Isaiah Chapter 57 , where we see an amazing theme or truth emerging.
1 – There is a theme here of God’s Second Home. I will dwell with him who is contrite and lowly in spirit – contrite could be translated CRUSHED . Here is the word of hope for God’s people – fresh from their own failure.
God has a second home. God comes to such a person. God is willing to come down – and this not for the first time – Abraham – Moses – Joseph. Isaiah in the Temple – Isaiah knew what he was preaching and writing. God comes to the crushed – to those oppressed by sin.
Remember verse 10 – They were so wearied by their sin – their sense of lostness and frustration – they would not say – it is hopeless – such was their condition.
Or verse 4 – people who were so hardened in their rebellion – there is hope for the crushed and broken in heart – the contrite – God will revive the heart of the lowly.
Isaiah speaks bout revive – revival comes in a personal sense – when people have become aware of the disastrous nature of their sin.
Revival is God coming to make His dwelling with people – revival is not phenomenon, but the presence of God. A colleague at New College used to say, “I remember when God came to Barvas”. A visitation restores and renews.
2 – God’s abundant Grace - Verses 16,17 - I will not accuse for ever – God turns away His accusation and His wrath – God turns away his judgment and wrath – and He exercises His sovereign love and mercy and grace.
His purpose is not to destroy but to save.
Now – because of Jesus and the experience and consequences of Pentecost, we know how God does this – what does God do with His judgment and anger? He places all this on His servant and Son – our sin bearer – Jesus – Chapters 52,53 teach that prophetically – and we can now put a name to the Suffering Servant. All this is infinitely costly.
3 – God’s new creation – I will heal him – I will guide and restore him – and create praise – God is promising to renew those who have been spoiled by sin. Is this not the only hope for Scotland?
4 – God’s welcoming love – verse 19f – He came and preached peace to you who were far away and those who were near – Ephesians 2verse 17.
God is going to speak peace – shalom – complete wholeness.
Sin is such a solemn and disastrous sickness, that goes through every area of life.
God speaks a word of coming peace. He then comes down and offers and makes peace – but He makes peace through the Suffering Servant – Jesus Christ His Son.
This is not cheap grace. God is reassuring His people – this is My purpose – for My people.
Verses 20,21 - we dare not omit the postscript – a but – Isaiah closes this section with such reality. Peace is for the penitent – the contrite – the broken – those who are waiting to be healed.
“Lord God Almighty – we bow before You with thanksgiving and praise – we thank You for the variety revealed in Isaiah’s preaching. We thank you for this passage of hope and light and so much of it revealed in Jesus. Reassure Your people wherever they are – no matter how isolated or sore or wounded they might be. Let there be praise and prayer and the preaching and teaching of Your Holy Word in the Church of Jesus Christ – in whose name we pray.” Amen.
Alexander 'Sandy' Shaw is pastor of Nairn Christian Fellowship in Nairn, Scotland. Nairn is 17 miles east of Inverness - on the Moray Firth Coast - not far from the Loch Ness Monster!
Gifted as a Biblical teacher, Sandy is firmly committed to making sure that his teachings are firmly grounded in the Word.
Sandy has a weekly radio talk which can be heard via the Internet on Saturday at 11:40am, New Orleans time, at wsho.com.