Isaiah: Lesson 18
Overview
A Prayer of Praise, Confession, and Hope: The Closing Chapters of Isaiah
The final chapters of Isaiah unfold as a great prayer—looking ahead to Jerusalem's destruction and the long exile, yet anchoring the people in God's character. The prayer begins with praise: "I will recount the gracious deeds of the LORD" Isaiah 63:7. This pattern is worth imitating in our own prayer lives. Too often we rush into our petitions and skip past adoration. When we begin by praising God for His attributes, His faithfulness, the cross, the empty tomb, and His promises, we quiet the clutter in our minds, remember who He is and who we are, and approach our intercessions with confidence.
Praise then gives way to confession. "They rebelled and grieved his Holy Spirit" Isaiah 63:10. True repentance offers no excuses; it lets Scripture examine our lives. Isaiah confesses, "We have all become like one who is unclean, and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth… yet, O LORD, you are our Father; we are the clay, and you are our potter" Isaiah 64:6. The warning of Hebrews 10:26-27 is not aimed at the believer who struggles with sin and cries, "Lord, forgive me," but at willful persistence—the refusal to repent. A lack of repentance can kill faith. This is why mature love in the body of Christ sometimes means gently confronting an erring brother or sister, coming as one fellow sinner to another, that they might be restored. And good works themselves do not save us; they flow from saving faith (Ephesians 2:10; Galatians 2:20). Works done to earn approval—from people or from God—are the filthy rags Isaiah describes.
The Lord's answer to this prayer is breathtaking grace: "I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, 'Here I am, here I am'" Isaiah 65:1. By nature we do not ask, seek, or call; God comes to us first, through His Word and Sacraments. And He sends His people to proclaim Him (Romans 10:14; 2 Corinthians 5:20-21). Christianity is a "done" religion, not a "do" religion—every other faith rests on human works, but ours rests on the finished work of Christ. The church, therefore, must not be silent.
Isaiah closes with two unflinching realities: the new heavens and new earth (Isaiah 65:17; Isaiah 66:22; compare 2 Peter 3:11-13 and Revelation 21:1-4), and the eternal judgment that awaits the unbeliever (Isaiah 66:24; Mark 16:16). Mercy and judgment—the twin themes that run like a thread through all sixty-six chapters—come together at the end. No one is scared into the kingdom; the gospel is what transforms a heart of stone. But neither do we shy away from the truth that every neighbor has an eternal destiny. The new creation is both a future hope and a present reality; we live in the "now and the not yet," made new in Christ even as we still wrestle with the old Adam, longing for the day the Lord brings all things to completion. May God's priority—proclaiming the good news—be our priority too.
Transcript
Gracious Heavenly Father, we give you thanks for the richness of this day and the richness 3s
of this week. 7s
We ask, O Lord, as we move through holy week that You will indeed bless these services 9s
to Your glory, our gatherings, as we give praise to You as we walk in the footsteps of 15s
our Lord. 21s
Bless us now, O Lord, as we come to the final chapters of the book of Isaiah, speak to us, 22s
O Lord, for Your servants are listening. 27s
In Jesus' name, amen. 31s
Well, we studied last week chapter 61 to 63 looking at the theme, the church as the 34s
as the bride of Christ. 42s
And we saw in chapter 61, we saw the description of the office and the work of Christ. 45s
As Christ lived out the prophetic word of Isaiah 61, 1 to 2, as he ministers to the poor, 53s
the prisoner, the blind, the oppressed. 61s
And we realize, we see scripture lay that those are the categories that certainly apply 64s
to us in terms of our spiritual walk and how God comes with mercy. 69s
In chapter 62, we examined how incredibly precious we are to God. 75s
We took a look at the church militant and triumphant, the church Catholic and universal. 83s
We took a look at the restlessness of the church that we should be a people by God's grace 88s
that are continually restless to carry out the Great Commission. 94s
We moved in the chapter 63, we saw the hero, the Lord, the Jesus Christ, and, and, precisely, 98s
those words in which he was described as the hero that he will come again to judge. 104s
But we know that we claimed in the waters of baptism, our safe for that day. 110s
And in fact, we anticipate his coming. 116s
Well, today is we bring Isaiah to a close. 119s
We're going to touch on chapter 63 to chapter 66. 122s
Well, we have in this section, we have a prayer. 128s
It's a prayer of praise and it's a prayer of pleading. 132s
And the prayer stands in the future. 136s
So what is seen is the coming destruction of Jerusalem, the raising of the temple and the long exile. 140s
And it opens up with a prayer of praise for all of the Lord's past kindness. 153s
So let's start in Isaiah chapter 63 and we'll start in verse 7. 161s
Isaiah 63, verse 7. 167s
I will recount the gracious deeds of the Lord. 173s
The praise were the acts of the Lord. 177s
Because of all that the Lord has done for us and the great favor to the house of Israel, 181s
that he is shone to according to his mercy, according to the abundance of his steadfast love. 187s
For he said, surely there my people, children, who will not deal falsely, and he became their savior in all their distress. 195s
It was no messenger or angel but his presence that saved them. 205s
In his love and in his pity he redeemed them. 211s
He lifted them up and carried them all the days of all. 213s
It is so important, isn't it? 221s
In our own prayer lives to begin our prayers with praise. 224s
So often we can rush right into the petitions, right into the intercessions, and omit the praise. 230s
But to begin our prayers in praising God for his attributes, for his trustworthiness, 240s
that is so, so very important. 248s
Because as we do that, we shut out the clutter in our minds. 250s
We shut it out, and we focus on who he is, and his magnificence, and his glory, and his wonder, and what he has done. 256s
And we remind ourselves in the process of who we are, which is not him, right? 270s
And we are reminded of who he is, who we are in the relationship, his servants, and that focuses us, and gives such confidence as we pray to our Lord. 279s
So I encourage you in your times of prayer, to begin with those times of praise, praising him for his attributes, praising him, for the very weak in which we follow in his footsteps here. 299s
Praise him for his faithfulness to his promises, praise him for going to the cross, praise him for the empty tomb, praise him for the church militants, the church of the sight of heaven, the church triumphant, the church that is in heaven. 313s
Continue to praise him for who he is, because that just gives confidence for the petitions, right? That follow. 327s
After the praise then, a time of confession is such a beautiful time in our prayer life, isn't it? 336s
Let's take a look at Isaiah chapter 63, verse 10, because this is where it goes. It moves into confession. 345s
But they were belled and grieved his Holy Spirit. Therefore he became their enemy. He himself fought against them. 357s
We grieve the Holy Spirit when we persist in that which we know is not pleasing unto God, that which is forbidden by God. 369s
We grieve the Holy Spirit. 381s
That's a dangerous thing. Take a look please at the book of Hebrews in a new testament. 384s
Good way to find that is just to go to the last book, the book of Revelation. Start working your way towards Matthew. 390s
You're going to cross over the Johns, the Peters, James, and then you come to Hebrews. Hebrews chapter 10, verses 26 to 27. 398s
Hebrews 10 picking up in verse 26. 410s
And there we read, for if we willfully persist in sin, after having received the knowledge of the truth, 417s
there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin. 427s
But a fearful prospect of judgment and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 431s
Again, if we willfully persist in sin after having received the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sin. 440s
But a fearful prospect of judgment and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. 450s
Now what this is not saying, it is not saying that if you find your self committing sin that all of a sudden there is no longer a sacrifice for your sins that is left. 456s
No, we're all sinners and we'll be sinners until the day that the Lord takes us home until that day when the old Adam and that old Eve depart from us. 469s
We will always be sinners and thought, word and deed by what we've done by what we've left, left undone. 480s
The issue here that's being addressed is lack of repentance. That's different. 486s
That's different than a struggle with sin and you say, Lord forgive me for that. And then you find yourself doing the same sin again. That's different. 493s
Willful persistence, the heart of willful persistence is a lack of repentance. 506s
And a lack of repentance, what this text is getting at, a lack of repentance can kill fate, can kill fate. 516s
So for a church to affirm then sin instead of repenting of sin, that's a dangerous thing, isn't it? 528s
Because where there is willful persistence in sin, where you know it's a sin and you say, well, I know it's a sin, but well God's gracious and God's going to be fine with it. 541s
No, he's not. He's not fine with sin. He's not fine with a lack of repentance. 553s
As Christians then, part of maturity then as we relate to one another in the body of Christ, when a brother or sister is caught in a sin and there is no repentance going on where there's willful continuance of the sin, the loving thing that Scripture tells us to do, 561s
is in gentleness to confront our airing brother and sister with the truth of the importance of repentance. 580s
You see, the most loving thing to do is not to allow our brother or sister to continue in willful lack of repentance. 590s
The most loving thing to do is to confront them gently, the Scripture says, gently for the purpose that they might be restored for the purpose that they might repent of their sin. 601s
When we do that, it's important to do that coming to them as a fellow sinner. 617s
So it's not the sinless one and the sinner here. It's not that type of conversation, but it's the type of conversation where we say, please hear this out of law, please hear this from a fellow sinner. 624s
And then there is talking about the danger of a lack of repentance, the danger of willful persistence. 640s
That is maturity. That's maturity in the body of Christ. 649s
Can that be difficult and challenging to do? Absolutely. 657s
Absolutely. But is that our call to do? Absolutely. Absolutely. 661s
So prayer then formed by praise, prayer then formed by confession, examining our own lives where we say, Lord, is there any area in my life here where I'm not, I'm not repenting? 670s
Right, right, prefer to hold on to the sin. And in fact, I'm going to embrace the sin. Remember, that's different than struggling against the sin and repenting in the sin. 687s
But is there an area in my life where I'm not repenting? Reveal that through your word to me. 699s
The prayer here of confession in Isaiah, it includes a full and open confession of the people's sin of rebellion. Let's go now into chapter 64, verse 6. 709s
We have all become like one who's unclean and all our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. 727s
We all fade like a leaf and our iniquities like the wind take us away. 734s
There's no one who calls on your name or attempts to take hold of you for you've hidden your face from us and have delivered us into the hand of our iniquity. 741s
Yet, O Lord, you are our Father, we are the clay and you are our potter, we are the work of your hand. 753s
True repentance offers no excuses. True repentance allows our lives to be examined by the Scripture itself. 765s
Notice in verse 6 there where it says, all of our righteous deeds are like a filthy cloth. 776s
There is even the good that we do, apart from Christ. God looks at that as a filthy cloth. 782s
Now, what are good things that displease God? 794s
Good things that displease God are things that are done in order to earn the approval of others. 799s
Where we're not really doing it to serve, we're doing it so we'll get an adaboyant and had a girl. 808s
Where we do it so we can get approval. 816s
What are good things that do not please God? 821s
It's those things that are done in an attempt to make ourselves right before God. 826s
Those things that are done where we think that if I do the good here it will atone for our sin. 833s
See, that's the old scale method here. 842s
We're in the end, at the end of your life as long as the good outweighs the bad, then you're in heaven. 845s
That's the whole works righteousness scheme. 853s
God totally throws that out. All the good that is done apart from Him is nothing. 857s
And what displeases God is when we do things to earn the approval of others or when we do things to try and make ourselves right before God. 864s
We do good works not in order to be saved. We do good works because as a people of faith we can't help it. 875s
We just can't help it. They just simply come because it's an expression of the faith that the Spirit has given to us. 882s
Let's go to Ephesians chapter 2. Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts and Romans. 892s
First and second Corinthians, Galatians and then Ephesians. Ephesians 2 verse 10. 900s
For we are what has made us created in Christ Jesus for good works which God prepared beforehand to be our way of life. 913s
Notice how the mention of good works is after what He has made us because it's all born of faith. 928s
Or let's go to Galatians, just before Ephesians, Galatians chapter 2 verse 20. 936s
Paul writes, it is no longer I who live, but it's Christ who lives in me. 951s
And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me. 958s
It's no longer I who live, but it's Christ who lives in me. 968s
And the Lord who has taken up residence here, the Lord who has given us faith, that Lord then expresses that. 975s
And so we come to Him in praise for who He is, we come to Him in confession for who He is. 985s
We understand the extent of the confession, we understand that only those things done in Christ is that which pleases God, we understand our works, our not a source of our salvation is simply an expression of who we are. 992s
Let's go to chapter 65 now. 1010s
Because here we read of the Lord's answer to this prayer in 63 and 64. 1013s
65 verse 1. 1023s
I was ready to be sought out by those who did not ask to be found by those who did not seek me. 1026s
I said, here I am, here I am to a nation that did not call on my name. 1037s
We are looking squarely at the miracle of God's grace, squarely at the miracle of God's grace, because notice here, these are people who using the verbiage here from that verse who didn't ask, they didn't seek or they didn't call. 1046s
Because you see by nature, we don't ask about God, we don't seek God, we don't call God, we want nothing to do with God. 1064s
Absolutely nothing. 1074s
Our Lutheran doctrinal writings tells us, it reflects what the scripture says, that our hearts are a heart of stone, that there is an a spark within us that wants God. 1076s
Not it. 1089s
We don't ask, we don't seek, we don't call, we don't even want to. 1091s
We want nothing to do with Him, but then God comes and says, here I am, here I am. 1098s
And He comes to us in word and sacrament. 1109s
Let's go to Romans the 10th chapter. 1115s
Matthew, Mark, Luke, John, Acts, and then Romans. 1120s
Romans chapter 10 verse 14. 1129s
But how are they to call on one in whom they've not believed? 1139s
And how are they to believe in one of whom they've never heard? 1143s
And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim Him? 1148s
And how are they to proclaim Him a lesser scent? 1153s
As it is written, how beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news. 1157s
God says, here I am, and He uses us to proclaim Him. 1167s
For through His word, God says, here I am. 1175s
God reveals Himself and comes to us through His word, through His word, 1182s
and what an amazing privilege that God uses the likes of us to proclaim His word, 1192s
to proclaim the gospel through which He brings people to faith where and when it pleases Him. 1201s
To a people that don't ask, they don't seek, they don't call. 1209s
The word comes and the heart is transformed. 1215s
Let's go to 2 Corinthians the 5th chapter. 1219s
Just before Galatians, 2 Corinthians the 5th chapter, verse 21. 1226s
Actually, verse 20 of chapter 5, 2 Corinthians. 1245s
So we are ambassadors for Christ. 1249s
Since God is making His appeal through us, we entreat you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 1252s
For our sake, He made Him to be sinned, who knew no sin, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God. 1261s
What a glorious gospel statement 21 is, and notice where it says, in verse 20, God is making His appeal through us. 1270s
Through us, the church then must not be silent. 1283s
The church must continually be talking, continually be talking, and what should the church be talking about, 1290s
but the church should be talking about the gospel to the world, for it is through the gospel that people come to faith. 1299s
Notice now, going back into Isaiah 65, the gracious picture that is presented. 1309s
Isaiah 65, verses 17 to 25, but I'm only for the sake of time I'm going to take just a little portion there. 1320s
For God says, from about to create new heavens and a new earth, the former things shall not be remembered or come to mind. 1332s
That very verse there tells us that now we're not talking about the return from Babylon, return from exile here. 1344s
God is having Isaiah look once again even farther than that to the new heavens and the new earth. 1356s
Christianity is a done religion. It's not a doom religion. 1367s
Every other religion, every other religion is in due religion. 1376s
Every one of them. 1384s
It's all premised, whatever understanding of a higher power there is, or higher powers, and that there are. 1387s
In all of the religions, it is all predicated on a works righteousness understand, except Christianity. 1395s
Now if human kind is going to invent a religion, is it going to invent a religion that's a done religion where God does all the work? 1409s
No. 1425s
That's why you see in all the false religions, they all have their own different thing going on, but it all comes down to do with this, 1428s
and the higher power you're going to be okay. 1440s
In whatever understanding of an afterlife, it is, whatever. 1445s
Every single one of them, save Christianity. 1449s
And what we see here in Isaiah 65, we see the last creative act here of God. 1455s
It's referred to in three different places. It happens concurrent with judgment and day. 1465s
We see this New Heaven and New Earth. Take a look at Isaiah 66 verse 22. 1473s
For as the New Heavens and the New Earth, which I will make shall remain before me, says the Lord, so shall your descendants, and your name, remain. 1484s
Let's go over into the New Testament into 2 Peter, the 3rd chapter. 1495s
2 Peter, chapter 3, go to Revelation, slowly work your way backwards. 1500s
You're going to quickly bump into 2 Peter, 2 Peter, chapter 3, verse 11. 1505s
Since all these things are to be dissolved in this way, what sort of persons ought you to be in leading lives of holiness and godliness, waiting for and hastening, the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set ablaze and dissolved, and the elements will melt. 1519s
But in accordance with his promise, we wait for New Heavens and a New Earth where righteousness is at home. 1543s
Let's go to Revelation, chapter 21. Very last, book. Revelation, chapter 21, verse 1. 1553s
Then I saw a New Heaven and a New Earth. For the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more. 1569s
I saw the Holy City, the New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. 1578s
I heard a loud voice from the Throne saying, see, the home of God is among mortals, he'll dwell with them. They will be his peoples, and God himself will be with them. 1585s
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. Death will be no more, morning and crying, and pain will be no more, for the first things have passed away. 1597s
The final creative act of God is mentioned here. Three times, you see it in Isaiah, you see it in second Peter, you see it in Revelation 21. 1610s
It's the final creative act of God. So real is the New Heaven and the New Earth. 1625s
And so real is eternal torment for the unbeliever. And Isaiah ends with that word. 1634s
He lifts up the New Heaven and the New Earth, but he ends in the reference to hell itself. 1647s
Let's go to Isaiah chapter 66, verse 24. 1656s
And they shall go out and look at the dead bodies of the people, whoever build against me. 1667s
For their worms shall not die, their fire shall not be quenched, and they shall be an uphorrence to all flesh. 1674s
Mark ends with a similar emphasis. Let's go to the gospel of Mark, Mark 16, verse 16. 1685s
The one who believes and is baptized will be saved, but the one who does not believe will be condemned. 1710s
Mercy and judgment, those themes run throughout the book of Isaiah. 1721s
And it's exactly how Isaiah is inspired to end the book. 1730s
With the great picture of the New Heaven and the New Earth and the reality of hell itself for the unbeliever. 1736s
One is never scared into salvation. 1749s
As we witness to people, do we come to them with the absolute honesty of the law? 1756s
Absolutely. The law shows our sin, the law shows the need of the Savior. 1763s
But you can't scare somebody into the kingdom. 1767s
It's the beauty of the gospel that transforms and changes the heart. 1773s
You know, I've heard of some denominations that like to have sermons where it kind of seers the hair on the top. 1781s
And that is actually described that way. It was a hair seer on that. 1792s
We don't see how people are converted that way scripturally. 1798s
People are converted through the gospel. 1802s
We don't, however, shy away with talking about the reality that the scripture does not talk about universalism. 1807s
We're in the end. 1815s
The belief of the universalist unscriptural. 1816s
The belief of the universalist is that everyone will be saved no matter what it is that they believe because God's gracious. 1819s
There's no evidence for that in scripture. 1828s
There's overwhelming evidence of mercy and judgment, the theme of Isaiah. 1831s
And so what is our call to proclaim the good news of the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ? 1837s
Knowing that the person who is in the world, 1847s
knows your neighbor that has no relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ, 1849s
they have an eternal destiny. 1855s
Just as your neighbor does also, that has a relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. 1858s
And how can we be ambassadors for Christ? 1866s
How can we look at people and see that they all have eternal destinies? 1870s
The new creation is not merely a future hole. 1879s
It is also a present reality. 1885s
Remember what Paul wrote that we referred to in 2 Corinthians 5. 1888s
If anyone in the Zen Christ has a new creation, everything all has passed away. 1892s
See everything has become new. 1896s
We live in the now. 1899s
Knowing that today for us is one more day in all of eternity with Christ, 1902s
we live in the now and the not yet. 1907s
And the not yet. 1910s
Because the not yet will only come when the Lord comes again. 1912s
Rolls all of this up. 1917s
It's the new heaven and the new earth that He creates. 1919s
And so as we live in the now and the not yet, 1924s
as we know that we have been made new, new Adam and new Eve, 1927s
we also know that the old Adam and the old Eve are clinging around, aren't they? 1933s
And we see that struggle in our own lives each and every day 1939s
and what a glorious word of the gospel is for us. 1942s
And we live in anticipation of the day when we will live in the not yet. 1946s
Well, we have touched on all 66 chapters of Isaiah this year. 1959s
This major prophet, beginning his ministry in 740 BC, 1966s
known as the prophet of the Redeemer, quoted more in the New Testament than any other prophet. 1970s
We've studied the five themes that God is the true King that He's present in the midst of His people. 1977s
The God's presence is a two-edged sword. 1982s
The God restores His repentant people, 1986s
the God's people are a witness to all nations as we studied in the first 33 chapters of Isaiah. 1989s
When we began in verse 34 to 66, 1998s
we saw in those early chapters how Babylon first came to have contact with Judah 2003s
and foreshadowed the coming exile. 2008s
We heard of the themes of comfort. 2011s
Comfort to people one day in exile to be released even, 2014s
God naming the person that would release him. 2018s
That wasn't even born at the time. 2021s
In fact, the very nation of Persia didn't even exist historically at the time. 2023s
We studied the comfort to the Lord Jesus and the prophecies of the Messiah that come, 2029s
the comfort of the reliability of Scripture. 2034s
We saw how Isaiah portrays the Savior in a threefold way as the idyllic, 2037s
Davidic King, God in person and the servant of God. 2043s
We studied the important points made about the Messiah to come as Isaiah reveals 2047s
that He would be exalted, despised, wounded, that He'd be killed and He'd make people righteous. 2052s
We saw Isaiah communicate as if He were actually at the sea. 2059s
That which would occur 700 years later, almost like He was there with a suffering servant, 2067s
and yet He was seven centuries away. 2074s
We saw how there is a limited time for us to call people to faith and to proclaim the gospel. 2078s
We saw how the Lord's grace is for all. 2086s
We saw how spiritual leaders must not fail in their duties. 2089s
We studied fundamentals of the basics that form our witness. 2092s
We talked about the church as the body of Christ, the office and work of Christ, 2097s
how precious we are to God, our hero, the Lord Jesus, and we saw today a prayer, 2102s
a prayer of praise and pleading, and the Lord's answer. 2108s
Here I am. 2113s
Here I am. 2114s
We've seen how Christianity is a done religion, everything else is a due religion. 2116s
We've seen the final creative act of God, the new heavens and the new earth. 2121s
We see how the new creation is a future reality, is a future hope and a present reality, 2127s
and we've seen how the theme of mercy and judgment runs like a continuous thread throughout Isaiah. 2135s
And by His grace, may we make God's priority to proclaim the good news, 2145s
may we make that our own priority. 2153s
Well, next week there's no class on Easter Sunday. 2159s
Pastor Maloneck is going to begin a new class. 2162s
She's going to continue her class on the Psalms for the various seasons. 2164s
And so I commend that opportunity to you. 2169s
That will begin two weeks from today. 2172s