Midweek Advent 1 – Dec. 3, 2020 – Isaiah 64:1-9
“THE DEVASTATIONS OF OLD ISRAEL”
Introduction: Grace be to you and peace, from God our Father, and from our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ. Our text for this evening is from Isaiah 64, the Scripture just read. We begin with prayer.
Dear fellow disciples of our Savior and Lord, Jesus Christ:
- It may seem somewhat odd that during the time preceding the Christmas celebration, we should be focusing of “devastations.” Our three midweek services will highlight “THE DEVASTATIONS OF OLD ISRAEL,” “THE DEVASTATIONS OF THE CHURCH TODAY,” and “THE DEVASTATIONS TO COME AT THE END.”
- The reason for this is “relief,” a background against which to properly understand the wondrous blessings of the coming of Jesus, His work of redemption and salvation for us, and the necessity of a new start, a new age in a new heavens and earth.
- Still, it seems odd to focus on devastations that involve God’s dear people. One would think that the “story,” or “history,” of God’s people would be only wine and roses, all good, nothing bad. Alas, that would require that God’s people not be sinful human beings, and that they would be strangely “insulated” from the rest of human doings. That might seem better, but it would not do in God’s larger and grander plans for mankind to be saved.
- So, as dismal as it may seem, it is good for us to read and consider those Scriptures which were written beforehand for our learning. After all, there was a price to pay for us to have these lessons.
- Tonight we consider “THE DEVASTATIONS OF OLD ISRAEL,” as described in our text from Isaiah 64. First:
I. The Causes Of Israel’s Devastations Are Clear
A. Her Many Sins And Rebellion
Text: “Behold, You were angry, and we sinned; in our sins we have been a long time, and shall we be saved? We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a polluted garment. . . . Our iniquities . . . take us away. . . . You have hidden Your face from us, and have made us melt in the hand of our iniquities.”
B. Her Lack Of Repentance And Faith In God
Text: “There is no one who calls upon Your Name, who rouses himself to take hold of You.”
C. Her Lack Of Witness To The Nations And Lack Of Evangelizing
Text: “Oh that You would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at Your presence . . . to make Your Name known to Your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at Your presence. From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear, no eye has seen a God besides You, Who acts for those Who wait for Him.”
D. The Ultimate Devastation Of Israel Was The Loss Of Their Existence As An Autonomous Nation – Which Occurred When Jeremiah Was Prophet
Statement: These are serious sins indeed! Of course human beings sin. There is no question that “we all have become like one who is unclean,” and that even our righteous deeds “are like a polluted garment.” But this does not mean that human beings have to remain in commitment to our sin. The gracious call of God is to repent of our sin, turning back from it in confession to God, and calling on His Name for forgiveness and mercy and cleansing – just as Isaiah does in our text! But alas, for so many in “Old Israel,” there would be no repenting and turning to God for mercy. Instead, the many turned to idolatry – so that they could bear no witness to God, the only True and Living God!
Application: God continues to offer His forgiveness and mercy to all people today. This is what Jesus accomplished on the cross, where He suffered and died for the sin and guilt of all people as the Lamb of God. This is the ultimate revelation of God and His love for us! As His people today we are urged to continue in the same repentance, and to find joy, peace, and comfort in the reality of God’s gracious forgiveness. And this enables us also, individually and as a church, to bear witness to the nations about God, the only True and Living God!
There will be devastations in the church, and especially at the end of this age, but:
II. God’s Grace And Salvation Constantly Sustain God’s People Of Faith
Text: “But now, O Lord, You are our Father; we are clay, and You are our Potter; we are all the work of Your hand. Be not so terribly angry, O Lord, and remember not iniquity forever. Behold, please look, we are all Your people.”
Jer. 31:33,34 “For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, declares the LORD: I will put my law within them, and I will write it on their hearts. And I will be their God, and they shall be My people. And no longer shall each one teach his neighbor and each his brother, saying, ‘Know the LORD,’ for they shall all know Me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD. For I will forgive their iniquity, and I will remember their sin no more.”
Statement: There is purpose and reason for all that God allows and for all that God ultimately brings upon humanity. Always it centers in His response to human sin and violence – and always His purpose is to bring people back to Him in repentance so that He can exercise His great mercy, forgiveness, and love to us. His great desire for all is to forgive iniquity and remember our sin no more. This assurance sustained and bolstered the faith of God’s people even when they suffered the devastating loss of Jerusalem, the magnificent temple that Solomon built for God, and the nation itself.
Application: In our own times we also suffer all manner of difficulty and trouble. God is still reacting to human sin in a manner which only He, with all of His perfect wisdom, is able to do. We too, as God’s children, suffer some of the devastations that He causes while trying to bring people to repentance and faith in Him! And we are sustained and bolstered also by His assurances of forgiveness and mercy, and His never ending love for us.
Conclusion: So let us constantly take heart in God’s love, no matter what we may be experiencing. And let us take care never to fall back into commitment to sin and evil, so that we rebelliously refuse to repent and turn to God for mercy. This would be the worst thing possible for us to fall into!
Let us heed the call of the prophets of God of old, who constantly called “Old Israel” to repentance and faith. Especially as we pass through present devastations we will be sustained in our loyalty to God and our life in Him. God grant it to each of us, Amen.
Votum: And the peace of God, which surpasses all human understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds in the true faith, which is in Christ Jesus, even unto life everlasting, Amen.