Isaiah: Lesson 16

Overview

Isaiah 58–60: The Basics That Form Our Witness

Isaiah 58–60 calls God's people back to fundamentals—the home-base truths that shape an authentic life of faith and witness. The Lord begins with a sobering command to the prophet: "Cry aloud; do not hold back… announce to my people their rebellion" Isaiah 58:1. Israel was diligent in outward worship—fasting, seeking, drawing near—yet their daily lives told a different story. The Lord exposes the sham of worship that is mere appearance, a split between Sunday piety and weekday practice. Jesus confronts the same hypocrisy in Matthew 23:27-28, comparing it to whitewashed tombs that look beautiful outside but are full of death within.

Faith gives rise to works. This is the first basic. We are not saved by our works—"by grace you have been saved through faith… not the result of works" Ephesians 2:8-10—yet we are created in Christ Jesus for good works. James presses the same truth from a different angle: faith without works is empty James 2:24. Luther put it well: faith is "an active and busy thing." You can no more separate works from faith than you can separate breathing from life. Isaiah even spells out what such faith looks like in practice: loosing the bonds of injustice, sharing bread with the hungry, sheltering the homeless, clothing the naked Isaiah 58:6-8.

Sin leads to separation. This is the second basic. "Your iniquities have been barriers between you and your God" Isaiah 59:2. Scripture uses three weighty terms: sin (missing the mark), transgression (walking on forbidden ground), and iniquity (acts of gross injustice). Psalm 51 gives us the language of confession that takes our condition seriously. We are tempted to measure ourselves against others, but God's law does not grade on a curve. A mature faith grows in awareness of the depth of our own sinfulness—and recognizes that we are responsible for the wall, not God.

Our helplessness gives rise to God's action. This is the third basic, and the heart of the gospel. Seeing that there was no one to intervene, the Lord himself "put on righteousness as a breastplate, and a helmet of salvation on his head" Isaiah 59:16-17. Our helplessness moves God to act—decisively, in the cross and empty tomb of Jesus Christ. This shapes how we witness. Rather than asking, "Will you make your decision for Christ?"—which subtly turns faith into a work—we proclaim what God has done for us and ask, "Would you like to be baptized?" That question rests on God's promise: "He saved us… not because of works… but according to his mercy, through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit" Titus 3:5. The same gospel comes to us in the Supper, where Christ gives his very body and blood "for the forgiveness of sins" Matthew 26:26-28. This is "because… therefore" language, not "if… then" language—gospel, not law.

Isaiah 60 closes with a vision of the city whose gates never shut, a picture echoed in Revelation 21:23-25, where the glory of God is its light and the Lamb its lamp. "The least of them shall become a clan, and the smallest one a mighty nation." From the promise to Abraham Romans 4:18-25 to the millions now gathered in Christ, God has kept his word. His love moved him to action; the separated life is no longer ours. And when our work this side of heaven is done, the home awaiting us is glorious indeed.

Transcript

Grace the Seventhly Father, we give you thanks. 3s

We praise you for your goodness. 6s

We praise you for your grace. 8s

We praise you for the solid word upon which we stand, the word that you give us, the 10s

inerrant and infallible word. 16s

And we ask, O Lord, as we continue our study in Isaiah that you will speak to us today, 18s

and send us forth in Jesus' name. 24s

Amen. 27s

A last week we studied chapters 55 to 57, and we saw that Scripture reveals to us that 28s

there is a limited time. 36s

A limited time before God's grace comes to a close when the world ends, the second coming 38s

of our Lord comes. 47s

And there is a limited time then for us to call into proclaim, and people are brought 50s

to faith through the proclamation of the Word. 55s

We saw how the Lord's grace and love is for all, that that message is one to proclaim. 58s

We saw how Isaiah talked about how spiritual leaders can fail in the ramifications with 66s

regard to that. 71s

We study the application of that, that the problem really with regard to failure of spiritual 72s

leaders starts in the seminary. 78s

So it starts in the preparation that then affects the pulpit, that affects the proclamation, 81s

that then gets in the pew, then it becomes pervasive. 87s

And when a church loses her voice, when a church loses the understanding of the authority 91s

of the Word and correct interpretation, a church can move into that which is political. 97s

And instead of rightly dividing, as Scripture does, the two kingdoms, Luther talks about 105s

this just brilliantly about the two kingdoms, the government and the other kingdom of the church. 111s

The church moves into the political when it doesn't trust the voice that has been given. 118s

Because the gospel is that which changes the heart. 125s

Well, today we're going to talk about chapters 58 to 60. 129s

And if I had to put a word for a theme that kind of unites, or we're going to talk about today, 133s

it's the theme of fundamentals, or it's the theme of the basics here for us. 139s

These are home-based kind of points that Isaiah brings out. 145s

And these basics form our witness. 149s

Before Lord's patience runs out, and the world then is brought to an end, 155s

God does a whole host of things to try and lead us to repentance. 163s

He does everything and uses everything to lead us to repentance. 171s

One of the things that he instructs Isaiah to do is literally for Isaiah to yell at the top of his lawn. 176s

And to literally scream in order to get the attention of the hairs. 185s

Now that's not an application for old time, for all people simply to scream, 192s

but it's the application that God had here for Isaiah. 198s

So let's start in Isaiah chapter 58, verse 1. 203s

And now it's to my people their rebellion, to the house of Jacob their sin. 215s

But this won't be easy, because appearance is sake that people appear to be quite and so righteous. 223s

Look at verse 58, verses 2 and 3. 233s

Yet day after day they seek me and the light to know my ways, as if they were a nation that practiced righteousness, 239s

and did not forsake the ordinance of their God. 248s

They ask me righteous judgments, they delight to draw near to God. 252s

Why do we fast, but you do not see? 258s

Why humble ourselves, but you do not notice? 261s

Look, you serve your own interests on your fasting and oppress all your workers. 265s

The Lord here is exposing the sham of their worship. 272s

He's exposing the worship that was simply a worship of show. 277s

It's the life that goes on away from the worship that he's concerned about. 283s

So there's this split in the people's lives. 289s

Their lives were one way and they put on the righteous show in terms of the worship. 292s

Their worship is only outward and it's not a matter of the heart. 300s

At the heart of that then is the Lord exposing their hypocrisy. 307s

The Lord Jesus uses the word hypocrisy more than 17 times in trying to get through 313s

to the scribes and the Pharisees, the religious leaders of the day. 320s

Let's keep our finger here, but let's go to the gospel of Matthew in the New Testament, 325s

very first book. Matthew chapter 23, Matthew 23 will pick up in verse 27. 329s

In the book of chapter 21, 344s

and here we have our Lord summarizing the message here of Isaiah. 348s

Matthew 23 picking up in verse 27, 355s

woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. 358s

For you're like white wash tombs which on the outside look beautiful, 361s

but inside they're full of the bones of the dead and of all kinds of filth. 367s

So you also on the outside look righteous to others, but inside you're full of hypocrisy 372s

and lawlessness. Woe to you scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites. 380s

For you build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 386s

When you look at the great reformers in the church, they all had a profound understanding 396s

of their own sinfulness, profound. When you look at the apostle Paul, when Paul says, 403s

oh, wretched man, bad I am. See, that's an appropriate understanding of the level in the depth 411s

of our sinfulness. That's different than what Isaiah is dealing with. It's different than what 419s

Jesus is dealing with here. Jesus is dealing with the hypocrisy of those that paint the picture 424s

on the outside and think they're they're righteous and good inside. It just is nothing. It's nothing. 430s

So to have an awareness of our own sinfulness and the depth of it, that's really a reflection 439s

of a maturity in our faith. To understand indeed who we are in our sinfulness. We sin against 445s

him and thought, word and deed, what we've done and what we've left on that. When you ponder, 453s

what would it is that we say that is all encompassing, isn't it? And the depth of our the depths of 457s

our sinfulness, it's different than what Isaiah is dealing with here. So here's the here's the 463s

first basic now at what I want to highlight. Faith gives rise to works. Faith gives rise to works. 470s

Where there is faith, that faith will express itself. What Isaiah is condemning here is just the 491s

outward sham of the show that was going on. Same thing that Jesus was talking about. Let's go to 498s

Ephesians chapter 2, Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and then Romans, 1st and 2nd Corinthians, 505s

Galatians, Ephesians, Ephesians 2, beginning with verse A. 514s

So where there is faith, there will be works and the works are pleasing unto God. Ephesians chapter 2, 523s

verse 8. For by grace you have been saved through faith and this is not your undoing, it's the gift 532s

of God. Not the results of works so that no one may boast. For we are what he has made us, 540s

created in Christ Jesus, for good works which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. 551s

Faith produces the life of works, it can't help but do that. As little as you can separate 564s

breathing from life, you can't separate faith from works. Let's go over to the book of James. 572s

James chapter 2, find he keep going toward revelation, you're going to quickly bump into Hebrews 582s

and then James, James chapter 2, verse 24. 589s

And James, right, you see that a person is justified by works and not by faith alone. 604s

What? Is where we taught. We're saved not by our works. We're saved by grace through faith. 610s

Sometimes people want to pit Paul and James against each other. They're both coming at the same 616s

thing. They're just coming at it from different angles and they meet in the same place. James 623s

is coming at it from the place that we're talking about here where there is faith it will produce 627s

works. Can't help it. That faith will express itself. Let's go back to Isaiah chapter 58. We'll pick 633s

up in verse 6 because what the Lord now reveals through the prophet Isaiah is a list of the kind of 645s

deeds, an example list of the kind of works that is produced by faith. So chapter 58 verse 6. 654s

Is this not the fast that I choose to lose the bonds of injustice, to undo the thongs of the 667s

yoke, to let the oppressed go free and to break every yoke? Is it not to share your bread with 674s

the hungry and bring the homeless poor into your house? When you see the naked to cover them and 682s

not to hide yourself from your own kin, then your light shall break forth like the dawn and your 688s

healing shall spring up quickly. Your vindicator shall go before you, the glory of the Lord, 696s

shall be your rear guard. So here then it's just a basic. It forms our faith. That faith produces 702s

works. I recall back in my first call a person came in. They weren't a part of the church, 714s

but they came in. They said, my loved one passed away and they had Lutheran roots and 721s

they were a Christian. Would you do a service? They were a Christian. I'll do the service. 731s

Then he said, if anyone would make it into heaven, he was such a good person. 740s

There's an opportunity for dialogue. There's that understanding of works, righteousness, 749s

a basic then is, are we to be a people of works? Absolutely. And works simply are an expression 757s

of faith. Luther said, faith is an active and busy thing. You just can't help yourself. The works 764s

just come. The works don't make us right before God. We are made right before God through the blood 771s

of the Lord Jesus Christ, but where there is faith, there will be works. You can't help it. You 779s

can't help it. That's a fundamental home base then in terms of our, in terms of our witness. 786s

Here is a second one. I want to highlight. And that is sin leads to separation. 792s

Sin leads to separation, the separated life. Let's go to Isaiah 59 verse 12. 803s

For our transgressions before you are many and our sins testify against us. Our transgressions 817s

indeed are with us and we know our inequities. This is an acknowledgement here of the nation's 827s

sins. And there's some, there's some terms here. One is sin. That word means to miss, miss the mark. 837s

Miss the mark. You've got transgression or trespass. That means to walk on forbidden ground. 846s

And then you've got iniquity. That's to instigate or to do acts of gross injustice. Those are 854s

important terms there, aren't they? Sin to miss the mark, transgression or trespass to walk on 862s

forbidden ground. Iniquity to instigate or to do acts of gross injustice. It reminds, 868s

doesn't it, of the words of Psalm 51. Let's go there, please. Go away to find Psalm. Just go to 877s

the middle of the book and you're going to overland on one of the Psalms, Psalm 51. 883s

Have mercy on me, verse one. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love. 898s

According to your abundant mercy, blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my 906s

iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions and my sin is ever before you 914s

against you, you alone have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight so that you're justified 924s

in your sentence and blameless when you pass judgment. Indeed, I was born guilty of sinner 930s

when my mother conceived me. We see then in Scripture that sin leads to the separated life 937s

from God. We can be tempted to measure ourselves against others. 948s

And the temptation comes in to say, well, we hear a horrific story on the news. 959s

And we say, well, at least I'm not as bad as that person, right? Or we experience something in 964s

daily life and we say, well, I'm glad I'm better than he is or she is. And then we read Scripture 975s

and we realize that all of us have fallen short. All of us and the depths and the breadth and the 988s

height of our sinfulness and that left to ourselves that sin separates us from us. 996s

God, you see, God's law doesn't require us to be better than someone. As if God will look at the 1005s

whole thing and say, okay, good for you. I'm grading on a curve here. And the curve here, 1015s

my goodness, a lot of low scores here. But this is now what the a, no, no, no, the Scripture calls us 1022s

right to be, to be pushed, to be perfect. So our sin then results in this wall of separation. Let's 1029s

go a little bit backwards in chapter 59. See the Lord's hand is not too short to save nor his ear 1040s

too dull to hear. Rather, your iniquities have been barriers between you and your God and your 1049s

sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear you. We are responsible for this wall 1057s

and not God. For the sake of time, I won't go to it, but the Lord describes the separated life. 1067s

You might want to put in the margins here just Ephesians chapter 2, 1 to 3, or Romans 1, 18 to 32. 1076s

Those are descriptions there of the separated life. So we see then that works don't earn our way 1084s

into the good graces of God. No, but faith expresses itself and works. A basic, we see another basic 1092s

for our witness that sin gives rise to separation from God. We see a third basic that our helplessness 1101s

gives rise to God's action. Our helplessness gives rise to God's action. 1116s

Let's go to verses 16 and 17 of chapter 59. And here the Lord is speaking as though he were 1131s

he were human. He saw there was no one and was a pole that there was no one to intervene. 1140s

So his own arm brought him victory and his righteousness upheld him. He put on righteousness 1150s

like a breastplate and a helmet of salvation on his head. He put on garments of vengeance for clothing 1157s

and wrapped himself in fury as in a mantle. The Lord here is ready to go to battle because of 1164s

the situation that we are in, and he will accomplish the salvation for all who believe and the 1176s

destruction for all who refuse his grace. Sin gives rise to the wall of separation. We're absolutely 1183s

helpless to affect any change. Our works don't affect the change. Our works are an expression of 1193s

the change. And in our helplessness it moves God to action that we see obviously in the cross 1200s

of the Lord Jesus Christ. Want to draw your attention to a little witness card and that's in the 1209s

words and you'll notice that they have a little perforations there so you can keep that in your 1223s

purse. You can keep it in your wallet, whatever you can just use those perforations and it becomes 1228s

just a nice little witnessing tool. And listen to the various themes here that we have our studying 1236s

so far that come out. Starts with grace, salvation, the gift, it's not earned or deserve. 1244s

The reference to John 316. Then talks about people. We're sinners, we can't save ourselves. 1251s

All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. So salvation isn't from our works. 1259s

We're all sinners and we can't save ourselves. Romans 3, 23. And then God is merciful. 1268s

God does not want to punish us. God is just. He must punish us for sin. God is loving. God sent 1276s

Jesus to save and redeem us. Remember what that word redeem means. It means to buy, buy us back, 1285s

to buy us back. Then Jesus, Jesus is God's only son, our true Lord and Savior. Remember we 1291s

studied how he had to beat true God and true man? Jesus died upon the cross for us. Jesus died 1298s

for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures. He was buried and was raised on the third day in 1304s

accordance with Scriptures. Then go over on the back there. Faith by faith we receive Jesus's 1310s

work on the cross. So you're hearing the themes here, right? Sin separates. It's not our works that 1320s

save us. We're absolutely help us that leads to God's action on the cross. Faith then 1328s

is that which receives the finished work of the Lord Jesus through the cross and the empty tomb. 1337s

By faith we receive Jesus' work on the cross. Forgiveness of sin, a right relationship with God, 1344s

life eternal, forby grace, you have been saved through faith. And here then is the assurance, 1352s

the Bible baptism, and holy communion. So faith comes from what's heard, what's heard comes through 1360s

the Word of Christ. So how does God come to faith? It's that proclamation we talked about last week. 1366s

He saved us not because of any works of righteousness. You see we're right back here the first one. 1373s

He saved us not because of any works of righteousness that we had done, but according to his mercy 1378s

through the water of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. It's an opportunity then to talk about 1385s

baptism. It's an opportunity to say this is the gift that God wants to give you in the waters of 1392s

baptism. He takes the victory of the cross in the empty tomb and he washes you in the promise. 1397s

That's why we've talked about witnessing before a helpful way after you've been sharing the 1405s

gospel with someone is to say, would you like to be baptized? Would you like to be baptized? 1412s

That's a different question than other others of our brothers and sisters in the faith from other 1419s

denominations where they'll say, all you have to do is believe, do you want to make your decision 1425s

for Christ? You hear now we're getting back to the law, gospel distinction there. You see what happened 1432s

there in that language when you say all you have to do is you hear the framework of the question? 1437s

Framework of the question is long. Where you say here's the gift that God gives to us. Here's a 1445s

the vehicle whereby he gives us this gift. Would you like to be baptized? That's a different question 1453s

there. Then you come to the point where either a person says, yeah, that's not great. Or the person says, 1460s

well, this is what I don't understand. And then you can loop back to the various basics here. 1468s

But you're rooting it in God's decision for them and not their own decision. Because when you 1475s

focus then how the scripture focuses it on God's decision for them, that's gospel language. 1482s

That's because Jesus has died for you, therefore you are forgiven. Because God is a gracious and 1490s

a loving God, he takes his word of victory and puts it to the water and he washes you in it. 1497s

That's because they're their forelanguage. That's not if then language. If then language is 1503s

the categories of the law. Right? Remember the example I've used a lot. So please act surprised here. 1509s

When you put it in the categories of if then if you eat your peas then you get dessert. Right? See, 1518s

that's law category. That's law category. If you make your decision for Jesus, then see, 1525s

that's law category. Then you've turned faith into the only work that they have to do. Instead of 1532s

proclaiming it in in gospel categories, the gospel categories that God calls us to. So 1538s

opportunity then to talk about baptism. Titus 35 and take eat. This is my body. Then he took a cup 1546s

and after giving thanks he gave it to them saying, drink from it all of you. 1553s

For this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for the forgiveness of sins. 1558s

Matthew chapter 26, 26 to 28. So Barrow phrase from an old professor of mine. As he was talking about 1563s

communion, God in his grace comes and we receive the body and blood of our Lord given with a 1572s

bread and wine for the forgiveness of sins and Christ says now so wallow it. So you know it's yours. 1579s

No ifans or buts about it. You see, that's the witness stand that moves into God's action and 1586s

God's decision for us. When you look at this little witness card and we hope it'll be helpful, 1594s

we hope we have to keep replenishing these in the in the pews here. Keep this on you. 1601s

Because it's a it's a nice way that you can just kind of witness I think to to someone you can 1610s

give them the give them the card. Right. So so take a bunch week. We got a bunch more. We'll just 1614s

we'll just replenish it. And he hear the themes here. Not by works works is just expression of faith. 1620s

Sin is that which separates us from from God. We're absolutely lost. God looks at us in his 1625s

grace. He looks at our helplessness and it moves him to to action in the Lord Jesus Christ. 1631s

In the few minutes we have remaining. I just want to touch on chapter 60 here because we read 1640s

of the future city of the of the Lord and the apostle John uses some of the same imagery here and 1646s

concepts when you get to Revelation 21 that describes the the new heaven and the new earth 1654s

in our eternity with with Christ. And so take a look please at chapter 60 verse 11 of Isaiah. 1661s

Your gates shall always be open day and night. They shall not be shut so that nations shall bring 1673s

you their wealth with their kings led in possession. Your gates shall always be open day and night. 1680s

They shall not be touched. Okay. Keep your finger here because we're going to go back to it. 1687s

Keep your finger here and go over to Revelation chapter 21. Very last book. Revelation 21 and 1693s

we'll pick up in verse 23. And notice a similar language here. 1701s

Chapter 21 picking up in 23 and the city has no need of sun or moon to shine on it. 1718s

For the glory of God is its light and its lamp is the lamb. The nations will walk by its light 1726s

and the kings of the earth will bring their glory into it. Its gates will never be shut by day 1733s

and there will be no night there. Let's go back to chapter 60 in Isaiah. Verse 22. 1741s

The least of them shall become a clan and the smallest one a mighty nation. I am the Lord 1756s

in its time I will accomplish it quickly. Okay. Let's go to Romans chapter 4. Romans 4 Matthew, 1765s

verse 18. This is speaking of Abraham. Hoping against hope he believed that he would become 1783s

the father of many nations according to what was said. So numerous shall your descendants be. 1800s

He did that weaken in faith when he considered his own body which was already as good as dead 1807s

for he was about a hundred years old. When he considered the beariness of Sarah's womb. 1812s

No distrust made him waver concerning the promise of God but he grew strong in his faith as he 1819s

gave glory to God being fully convinced that God was able to do what he had promised. Therefore 1824s

his faith was reckoned to him as righteousness. Now the words it was reckoned to him were written 1832s

not for his sake alone but for ours also. It will be reckoned to us who believe in him, 1839s

who raised Jesus our Lord from the dead, who was handed over to death for our trespasses, 1846s

and was raised for our justification. Again going back into the last part of 18 so numerous shall your 1853s

descendants be. And then you go back into Isaiah chapter 60 verse 22 and you see here the 1862s

fulfillment of the extension here of the church. The least of them shall become a clan and the 1875s

smallest one almighty nation. I am the Lord in its time. I will accomplish it quickly. 1883s

And so from Abraham and Sarah to whom the promise came the church then has grown to many, 1889s

many amelians of people. And we see God's graciousness and God holding His holding true to His 1899s

promise. God's love moved him into action. The separated life is no longer the life for the 1910s

believer. And what glory awaits us in the beauty of heaven when our task this side of heaven 1921s

with the ministry that the Lord has for us this side of heaven is done because it's the Lord 1930s

who holds our days. And when he says it's time to come home. We know that the home that we will go 1936s

to is glorious indeed. How gracious is God giving us the basics that form our witness to him. 1944s

We'll continue next week chapter 61 to 63. 1955s