Some deliverance now, perfect deliverance in its time

Sermon for Midweek of Trinity 18

Isaiah 60:13-22 (ESV)

There was a lot of Law in the first part of Isaiah 59, which we heard last week. The second half of that chapter we heard way back on the First Day of Lent, and after all the Law of the first part, we heard in that second half of the chapter God’s gracious promise to send the Redeemer to Zion, to save those who were crushed by the Law. We heard the first part of Isaiah chapter 60 even earlier, at the beginning of this year, on Epiphany, where God foretold the great expansion of Israel—of the people of God—to include the Gentiles together with the Jews in the Holy Christian Church.

Remember, all three parts of these last 27 chapters of Isaiah revolve around the three themes: (1) Earthly deliverance for Israel from captivity in Babylon for the sake of the coming Messiah, (2) spiritual deliverance for Israel through the work of the coming Messiah, and the expansion of Israel to include the Gentiles, during the New Testament era, and (3) final deliverance for the new, expanded people of Israel at the Messiah’s second coming, in the new heavens and the new earth. Those three themes are found in each of the three sections of 9 chapters, but each 9-chapter section focuses on one of those themes. These last 9 chapters focus on the final deliverance. And just as there is a progression from earthly deliverance to spiritual and then heavenly deliverance, so there is a progressive shift away from the earthly nation of Israel in these chapters to the spiritual Israel of the Holy Christian Church.

And so we pick up the prophecy this evening in the second half of chapter 60, where the Lord uses picture-language to describe that spiritual Israel (the Holy Christian Church), partially during this New Testament era and partially after this world ends, with one era sort of blending into the next.

The glory of Lebanon shall come to you, the cypress, the plane, and the pine, to beautify the place of my sanctuary, and I will make the place of my feet glorious.

The “glory of Lebanon” was their trees. Lebanon was famous for the quality and abundance of wood for construction projects. Here the Lord promises that His sanctuary, His temple would be rebuilt with the help of foreign nations. That happened literally for Israel after their return from captivity. It’s happening spiritually right now as the Christian Church continues to be built throughout the world. And it will happen perfectly in the heavenly sanctuary above.

The sons of those who afflicted you shall come bending low to you, and all who despised you shall bow down at your feet; they shall call you the City of the LORD, the Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

Again, that happened literally only to a small degree for the nation of Israel. It’s happening now spiritually as former persecutors of the Church repent and become members of it. And it will happen perfectly at the Last Day, when every enemy of Jesus and of His beloved Church will bow down before Him in shame and recognize that He has loved us, His dear Christians.

Whereas you have been forsaken and hated, with no one passing through, I will make you majestic forever, a joy from age to age. You shall suck the milk of nations; you shall nurse at the breast of kings; and you shall know that I, the LORD, am your Savior and your Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

The nation of Israel was literally restored, and some degree of majesty was seen there again, and they received some help from foreign rulers (that’s what it means to “suck the milk of nations and to nurse at the breast of kings”). But the focus of these verses has shifted to the New Testament Church. Not that the Church appears majestic in this world. And yet the Gospel has successfully gone out to every corner of the earth, bringing sinners to repentance and faith in the Lord Jesus. And, at many times over these past 2,000 years, the Church has been nurtured and protected by the kings of the earth, just as the Lord promises here in this chapter. Notice, it’s not about the Church taking over the kingdoms of the world. It’s about God using the governments of the earth, whether good or bad, whether full of Christians or full of pagans, to preserve His people throughout this New Testament era, until Christ comes again, usually through laws like we have here in the United States, laws that protect Christians’ ability to assemble peaceably and to speak freely, and to practice our religion in the world. St. John pictures this preservation in Revelation, where the Church is pictured as a woman who is fleeing from the dragon (the Devil), fleeing into the wilderness of this earth, where she will be cared for during this New Testament age.

But that’s not a guarantee that the governments of the world will always protect and preserve the Church. On the contrary, human governments are more often portrayed in Scripture as hostile to the Gospel. Still, what Isaiah promises in this chapter has certainly been fulfilled over and over throughout history, and we should give thanks to God for such providence.

Instead of bronze I will bring gold, and instead of iron I will bring silver; instead of wood, bronze, instead of stones, iron. I will make your overseers peace and your taskmasters righteousness. Violence shall no more be heard in your land, devastation or destruction within your borders; you shall call your walls Salvation, and your gates Praise.

And here the Lord transitions from the Church in the world to the Church as it will be in heaven. Everything we have here will be replaced with something far better. Gold in place of bronze. Silver in place of iron. Iron in place of wood. Peace and righteousness in place of toil and injustice. Safety in place of violence. Salvation in place of destruction and death. Praise in place of groaning and sighing.

The sun shall be no more your light by day, nor for brightness shall the moon give you light; but the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your God will be your glory. Your sun shall no more go down, nor your moon withdraw itself; for the LORD will be your everlasting light, and your days of mourning shall be ended.

These beautiful words are quoted almost verbatim in the book of Revelation as John sees behind the curtain of death, as he sees what life will be like for believers in heaven. And notice how God-focused this vision of heaven is. It’s not about having fun with your favorite pastime or hanging out with your friends or loved ones. The focus, the focus of eternal life will be the LORD God—the same LORD God who loved us and gave His Son into death for our sins, so that we could be with Him forever.

Your people shall all be righteous; they shall possess the land forever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I might be glorified. The least one shall become a clan, and the smallest one a mighty nation;

Heaven is called “the home of righteousness,” because, finally, we will all be righteous, not just by imputation, not just by God counting us righteous for Christ’s sake, through faith. But, finally, all citizens of heaven will have sloughed off this sinful flesh, with its taint of corruption and self-centeredness. No longer will we covet. No longer will anyone stumble or fall. Heaven will be our home forever, to the glory of the God who redeemed us, and worked in us all these years by His Holy Spirit, to finally transform us completely into image of God in which man was first created.

I am the LORD; in its time I will hasten it.

“In its time,” God says. Not in our time, when we want our final deliverance to come. In “its” time, at the right time, as decided by our God, whose wisdom and knowledge are beyond our understanding. The Lord knows just when He should come to put an end to the sorrows of this life. And when the right time comes, He won’t delay any longer. He will “hasten it.” Behold, I am coming soon, says the Lord. Let this promise draw your gaze heavenward, to the time of the final deliverance of God’s people. Put your trust in your Father’s perfect timing, and that faith will lessen the harshness of this world’s evil. Amen.