The Glory of God to Keep Promises – Isaiah 42:8-9

The Glory of God to Keep Promises

Isaiah 42:8-9

(Introduction)

How do we know that the Lord God will keep His Word?

What has the Lord God been saying, 42:1-7?

• I want you to Behold my Servant, the One through whom I am going to accomplish the great and awe-inspiring things:
• I hold Him forth before You in full knowledge of Him as My Holy, Unique & Glorious Son
• I will set Him forth as the Wrath-Removing Sacrifice to Reconcile My People to Myself
  • He will meet the Law’s demands, on behalf of His People,
  • He who cannot sin, will be made: sin,
  • He will be found guilty of sin; He’ll be punished for it…
  • He will turn all My wrath against you away, and replace it with Joyful Acceptance
• I greatly Delight in Him as My Obedient, Son & Servant
• I have Chosen the Man, Jesus of Nazareth, to be united to the Divine Nature of my Son, at: moment of conception in: womb
  • He is One Person w/ Two natures & Three roles:
    • (Prophet, Priest & King) to fulfil.
• My Servant-Son will not cry aloud in the streets,
  • But, He will deal quietly, gently & in dignified manner.
• My Servant-Son will not break a bruised reed – any who’re down-trodden, despised, & considered worthless by others….
  • But, He will strengthen & rebuild them: whole again
• My Servant-Son will not extinguish a smouldering wick
  • But, He will breathe gently on it, to coax it to life again
• I, God, the Lord, the creator & sustainer of all created things… I, being Righteous, and doing Righteously, and working to declare sinners Righteous – I, Myself have called My Servant-Son in Righteousness to accomplish This Work I’ve given Him.
• I will give My Servant-Son as: Substance of the New Covenant,
• so that all: Covenant blessings will be found, Only in Him…
• I will give My Servant-Son as the Light of Salvation
  • to all the nations of the earth
• My Servant-Son will open the eyes of those blinded by sin,
  • to see My Glory in His Face
• My Servant-Son will open: prison doors of those
  • held captive by sin,
  • under the Domain of Darkness
• He will bring them into the Kingdom of My Dear Son…
• These are the profound Promises of the Lord about His Servant to the Lord’s People in Exile….
• And to us, in Noble Park, Aus., in 2021 hearing all this about our Saviour, what a motivation to serve our Lord and Saviour just as He served His God and His Father
  • Firmly Held onto and Delighted in by Our Hv. Father
  • Chosen by God and before the foundation of the world and called in righteousness to serve in Quietness, Gentleness & Humility
  • To take the Light of the Gospel of God’s Salvation thru His Suff. Servant to all the nations of the world…
• What a reminder of our Service as Sons & Daught. to our God

• But, say some of us, or an exile in Babylon, in weakened faith,
• having seen all that happened to: nations of Judah & Israel
  • the deaths of 1,000’s of: Lord’s Disobedient People…
  • the conquering of the Babylonians,
  • the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple,
  • the long slow march into exile away from family, friends, Temple, priesthood, king and kingdom….
• But, How do we know that You, the Lord our God, will do these things: you promise – You did not save those people of yours…
• And I’m convinced, that God in Magnificent Grace, anticipating their-our doubts and fears, in order to soothe them, declares to us The Reason & Reassurance of His Promises,
• He gives us: 1) His Qualification, 2) His Motivation & 3) His Confirmation, that He Will Keep His Promises to them & to us.

So, First: Notice the Qualification of the Lord to Keep His Promises

• This first point answers for us,
  • Who is Making, and Who that will Keep these promises:

In Vs.8, He is the Lord

• “What’s in a name?” asked Shakespeare in “Romeo & Juliet”
• And the answer in this particular case is there is so much!
• Yahweh, which is simply a transliteration of the Hebrew name
• The Name Yahweh was given to Moses in the context of God:
  • keeping His Covenant Promise to Abraham:
  • to deliver Israel from slavery in Egypt…
  • to bring them back to the Promised Land.
• God’s Character is revealed by His Name: the Lord
  • In Gen.21:33, He is the Everlasting-Eternal Lord
  • In Isaiah 45:5, He is: Unique Lord; No-one Like Him
  • In Isaiah 43:15, He is the Holy Lord
  • In Isaiah 2:10, 6:1, He is the Majestic Lord
  • In Psalm 145:8-9. He is: Compassionate & Gracious Lord
  • In Psa.145:13, He is the Faithful and True Lord
  • In Malachi.3:6, He is the Unchangeable Lord
  • In Exo.3:12, Josh.1:8-9, Hag.1:13, He is the Lord always Actively Present with His People – to bless & to judge
• Remember: Isaiah was changed by His Vision: Lord in Isa.6:1-8
• Isaiah was changed when He saw the Lord:
  • In Supreme Authority over all the hosts
  • He saw Lord in UnLtd. Power to accomplish all: Desired
  • He saw Lord enthroned as King over all Creation
  • He saw Lord in: Temple, Present in midst of His People
• Isaiah was changed when He experienced the Grace of God to cleanse Him and Save Him.
• Bro & Sis. what we need is to stop & see the Lord & Be Changed

• Being: Lord means there are certain Attributes to His Lordship
  • {I must give credit to Dr John Frame, ‘Systematic Theology’}

1) He is the Lord w/ Authority ovr all creation to make Promises

• He has: Authority as the Lord, being All-knowing,
  • 1Joh.3:20b, God is greater than our heart, & He knows everything.
  • Mark.2:8, Jesus knew the thought of their hearts
• He has Authority as the Lord, being absolutely Truthful,
  • Titus 1:2 in hope of eternal life, which God, who never lies, promised before the ages began
  • John.14:6, Jesus is the Way, Truth, and the Life.
• He has Authority becoz His Word governs Creation
  • Hebrews 1:3a, (The Son) is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power…
• Being the Lord He has the Authority to command us in:
  • What to believe and What to do in response
  • He commands us to Believe these Promises on the strength of His knowing everything, never lying, and governing-controlling the entire Universe with His Word

2) He is the Lord in Control (Power) over all creation to Promise

• The Lord is the One who Controls all the forces of nature & history for His Purposes, He exercises His Power, in Control.
• He called into existence all of Creation: to Glorify Him
• He parted the Red Sea for Israel: to Deliver them fr. Pharoah
• He parted the Jordan River: to bring people into Prom. Land
• Jesus calmed: Storms w/ Word: to display Deity to Disciples
• Jesus Commanded demons to depart: to display His Authority
• Jesus Commanded sickness cured at distance: display Authority
• God can make these promises to them-us, as the Lord, becoz He Controls everything, acc. to His Will, & by His Power.
• He commands us: Believe: Promises, knowing He Will Keep Them

3) He is the Lord, Present with you to bless & to judge

• He is present, not physically (until Christ came)
• He is always able to act on and act in the creation, He has made
• He, the Lord, is always able to evaluate-judge authoritatively all that is happening in Creation
• He, as the Covenant God – is covenantally present w/ His People
  • Ex.3:12, He Prom. Moses: I will go w/ U
  • Ex.33:14, He prom. Moses, My Presence will go with U
• Christ is the Perfection of this Attribute of God’s Lordship
  • He is Immanuel: God w/ us Isa.7:14 – Matt.1:23 fulfilled
  • He is with us, never to leave or forsake us, Matt.28:20
• The Lord, in Authority commands us to believe and to act…
• The Lord, in Control, will surely bring His promises to pass
• The Lord, Present always with His Covenant People (incl. us) will keep these promises.

4) He is the Lord, Unique in all Existence to make-keep these Promises

• Some could ask-suggest that The Lord God is one of many gods
• But, God in His Word answer this point directly and exactly
• 6:4, Shema, Yisra-el YehVah eloheynu echad
  • Hear O Israel, The Lord our God is One
• He is the Lord, the Only One
• Of course we all recognise the Trinity of Three in One
• But we only worship One God – in three persons.
• He is the Unique God, the Solitary God, the Only God
• His Qualifications to command us to Believe these Promises
• He is the Lord – and all that scripture says in relation to it
• He is the Lord in Authority over all Creation
  • He has the Right to Command our unwavering Belief
• He is the Lord in Control over all Creation
  • He will Bring these promises to pass
  • He will also impart the Faith to Believe & Will to Obey
• He is the Lord always Present with His People – In Christ
• He is the Lord, the only Unique God of all ages!
• You and I can believe these – and every other promise – that the Lord Our God makes to us, as absolutely true, on the basis of His Own Name & the Character His Name defines/portrays

Secondly: Notice the Motivation of the Lord to Keep His Promises

• Why! Why would the Lord God make these promises to His People who had so long, so stubbornly refused to trust & obey?
• He made them, becoz He is the Faithful God, He also Made them becoz God is Most Passionate for His Own Glory! {Piper}
• Vs.8b, I am the Lord; That is My Name: Reputation, My Glory!
• God created All things for His Glory
  • Revelation.4:11, God created Creation for His Glory
  • Isaiah.43:7, God created Man to Glorify Him
    • Living statues to display His Glory to Creation
  • Psalm 19:1, The Heavens declare the Glory of God
• God’s Great Purpose in all His Creation, His Redemption and His Providence is the Glory of His Name!
• My Glory I give to no other – God is Jealous For His Glory
• God is Jealous for the Affections of His people – Why?
• Becoz, our glorifying of Him, is to know & enjoy the highest experience of being Human’s created in God’s Image
• All of Man’s Love, Devotion, Worship, Adoration, Obedience belongs First and Foremost to Me – It is Rightfully His!
• I am the Lord – the Being of Highest Valuable in all existence
• I will not relinquish the glory due my Name to a carved Image
  • Becoz in the worship of anything but God, man declines to the lowest experience of being human in God’s Image
  • Consider Romans.1:21-25
• The Nations were in Darkness, worshipping lumps of silent, powerless, faithless, ignorant firewood carved into idols
• So, God promised to send Christ, as a Covenant for the people and as the Light of Salvation to the nations
  • to turn them away from worshipping silent, powerless, dead firewood as Idols
  • to turn them to worshipping and Glorifying Me, as the Living, All-Powerful, All-knowing, Unchanging, God of Love, Grace, Mercy and Peace,
• I will accomplish all these promises
  • By My Authority and Will – to the Glory of My Name
  • By My Power & Control – to the Glory of My Name
  • By My Servant-Son – to the Glory of My Name
• No-body will stand before God to claim credit, or glory for the accomplishment of these things: Christ the Covenant & Light!
  • God, the Lord says: I promise these things to you
  • God, the Lord says: I will do them
  • God, the Lord says: I will be glorified by all
• God saved us for the Glory of His Own Name
  • We, in sin, had every one gone our own way
  • We, in sin, had refused to seek God, to fear God, to Listen to God, to Obey God
  • We had, in sin, chosen to love and worship the creation of our own hands cars, houses, goods, our own perceived worth in the world – we all commit idolatry when we love-worship anything other than the Lord our God!
  • Failure to Love God w/ heart, soul, mind, strength = Sin
  • But, Christ came, to be made sin for us, to bear the full punishment for our sin, to save us fr. the wrath to come!
• Did you notice, Bro. & Sis., that God did not leave us anything to do in order to effect these promises
• At the end of it all, we are called to simply hear the promise of God, to believe the promise of God, to be faithful to God – He will do all that is necessary to bring it about!
• Phil.2:9-11, Believer in Abundant, Rapturous Joy will declare
  • Jesus Christ is Lord! To the Glory of God the Father
• But: Unbeliever, sent to Hell, for all Eternity, will go: declaring in great sadness: He Is Lord!, to the Glory of God the Father
• Rev.4:8, The Obedient Angelic Hosts never cease to declare to each other in His Presence: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, to the Glory of God the Father
• The Disobedient Demonic Host, with Satan as choirmaster will all declare in furious rage that The Lord-God is Always Lord

Beloved Listener, You Will Glorify God w/ Confession: Jesus is Lord!

• You will either do it now, willingly, as an experience & expression of H. Spirit’s power and as the outflow of a Heart Changed by God, or….
• You will glorify God’s Name in the utter desolation of knowing you have been rightly, justly consigned to Hell for all eternity
  • You will glorify God, Who is Just to Condemn you…
• Which will you do?

Thirdly, Notice The Confirmation of the Lord Keeping His Promises

• God is so Gracious, He even provides for us evidence that we can all look, see & grasp that He’ll Keep Promises
• The Lord, the Unique God, in Authority, Control & Present with us can make and prove that He will keep His Promises
• Notice vs.9, The Former Things have come to pass…
• Gen.15:12-16, Lord: Cov’t God Promis’d to bring Israel fr. Egypt
  • He Kept His Prom: brought them out w/ Mighty Hand
• Ex.33:14, Lord: Coven’t God proms’d to go w/ them thru dessert
  • He brought them thru, shoes did not wear out, etc.
• Deut.11:23, Lord: Coven’t God proms’d to go B4 them to drive enemies out – He went ahead & destroyed their enemies
• Judg.6:16, Lord: Coven’t God promised Gideon He’d go with Him
  • He went with Him and the Midianites: wiped out
• Isa.39:5-6, Lord: Coven’t God proms’d: Assyrians come-conquer
  • He kept those promises: Exiles knew only too well.

• As Lord, I have kept all my Words to You!
• Now, New Things I Declare to You; before they spring forth, I tell you of them
• For Exiles Living In Babylon: God’s Word was absolutely Sure!
• He is Lord, He will Keep His Promises
• Lord, the One and Only, Unique Coven’t Creator God
  • He will send His Servant-Son to be the Covenant
• Lord, Present always with His People to Bless & to Judge
  • He will send His Servant-Son 2B Light to Nations
• Lord is in Contrl-Pwr ovr all things; He will do as He said
• Lord is in Authority ovr: People; He will do as He Said
• He has the Right, & the Might to Command our Belief
• At the end, our Disbelief is simple case of Disobedience to The All-Powerful God – not a good idea!
• He is the Lord, zealous and jealous for His Glory!

• So what do we do with all this?
• God has kept His Promises re: Servant-Son, He came, He lived, He suffered, He died, He rose again – He is coming Back!
• God has Promised us so much:
• James 1:12  Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him.
• James 2:5 Listen, my beloved brothers, has not God chosen those who are poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom, which he has promised to those who love him?
• 2 Peter 1:3–4 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, ⁴ by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire.
• 1 John 2:25. And this is the promise that he made to us—eternal life. – John 17:3  “This is eternal life, that they may know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent.
• Philippians 1:6 And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.
• Psalm 138:8. The Lord will fulfill his purpose for me; your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever. Do not forsake the work of your hands.