For our meditation at this time, let's turn
again to the book of Isaiah, chapter 40.
And this time we'll consider verses 9 through
11.
Isaiah 40, verses 9 through 11.
O Zion that bring us good tidings, get
thee up into the high mountain.
O Jerusalem that bring us good tidings, lift
up thy voice with strength.
Lift it up, be not afraid.
Say unto the city of Judah, Behold your
God.
Behold, the Lord God will come with strong
hand, and his arm shall rule for him.
Behold, his reward is with him, and his
work before him.
He shall feed his flock like a shepherd.
He shall gather the lambs with his arm,
and carry them in his bosom, and shall
gently lead those that are with young.
As we scan afresh the whole passage from
which these verses are taken, we notice a
very definite pattern in it.
Here we see the Lord making overtures to
man.
It's not a case of a man seeking
God, but of God seeking man.
And that, of course, was also the manner
of our Lord when he was here on
earth.
He said, The Son of Man is come
to seek and to save that which is
lost.
And as a good shepherd, he went after
that which was lost until he found it.
Our Lord also lightened his mission to that
of a man sowing seed in his field.
But before he could sow the ground, it
had to be broken up.
And John the Baptist was the plowman who
went before the sower.
And in that way he prepared the way
of the Lord.
In our preceding study we saw how all
of this was foreseen and foretold by the
prophet.
In our present portion we get the commissioning
of those who are to carry forward the
work of proclaiming the good tidings.
It's interesting to observe that it is a
city rather than an individual which is here
addressed.
This does not mean that we are to
lose sight of the individual.
In these days when so many are turning
to collectivism as a philosophy of life, it's
well for us to emphasize the fact that
God is ever and always interested in the
individual.
Collectivism, socialism, and communism all tend to lose
sight of the individual, but God never does.
It is our understanding that in addressing a
city as here, the Lord has in mind
the individuals who live in that city, just
as we often identify a city with its
inhabitants.
The striking thing is that the whole city
is here addressed as an evangelist.
As a matter of fact, another translation puts
it just that way.
O evangelist Zion!
Most cities are anything but that.
They do not proclaim good news, but bad
news.
Our daily newspapers give abundant proof of that.
But things will be different when this verse
is finally fulfilled.
Nevertheless, there is a sense in which it
may be fulfilled even now.
All who are truly born again are citizens
of the heavenly Jerusalem, and as such they
go forth with the good tidings of God's
grace.
The idea of a city seems to have
been in the mind of God from all
eternity.
But this idea seems to have been in
the minds of men as well.
Cain built a city which he called after
the name of his son, Enoch.
Later on we read of another attempt to
build a city and a tower, for we
read that they said, Go to, let's build
us a city and a tower, whose top
may reach to heaven.
And let us make us a nail, lest
we be scattered abroad upon the face of
the whole earth.
Alas, they built without a foundation, and they
used to substitute materials.
For they had brick for stone, and slime
had they for mortar.
How different a city for which Abraham looked!
We are told that he looked for a
city which hath foundations, whose architect and builder
is God.
Such a city as Zion, which is here
addressed as an evangelist, or a bearer of
good tidings.
In view of the constant threat which menaces
our cities in these days of the atomic
bomb, there is great consolation in the thought
that we have here something which shows it
will not always be like this.
Having seen what can happen to such cities
as Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, those of
us who live in cities may well wonder
what may happen to our homes.
Fear has already driven many into the suburbs
where they feel more secure.
We gather from our texts that Zion herself
is afraid.
And when we consider the number of times
that the city of Jerusalem has been besieged
and destroyed, we need not wonder that its
inhabitants are afraid.
Although destined to be the joy of the
whole earth, it has probably seen more grief
and sorrow than any other city of its
size in all the world.
And that in spite of the fact that
its name means the foundation of peace.
God has been dealing with her in his
holy discipline just as he deals with his
individual children.
But his discipline always has as its objective
the restoration of the offender.
I take it that we have the spiritually
restored city before us here.
It may be that like the psalmist she
has prayed, Restore unto me the joy of
thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free
spirit.
Then will I teach transgresses thy ways, and
sinners shall be converted unto thee.
Psalm 51 The first thing that this city
is now told to do is to get
up to the high mountain.
Now just what might that mean?
Well, a number of answers come to mind.
We remember that the Lord Jesus went up
into a mountain to pray.
And it seems it was an ancient custom
to go up to a high place to
pray and to worship.
Even the heathen did that.
In the case of our Lord we read
that as he prayed the fashion of his
countenance or his face was altered.
And his raiment or his clothing was white
and blistering.
Such were the wonderful and visible effects of
his communion with his Father.
And it may be that that is what
the Lord is here asking his evangelist to
do also.
Nothing could be more appropriate and fitting.
But we believe it's more than that.
It is essential, without it the message of
the evangelist would be but a sounding brass
or a tinkling cymbal.
Then too we may learn from this that
the message which we publish must be kept
on a level with its divine source.
There is a tendency in our day to
lower standards.
Gospel music, so called, is hardly distinguishable at
times from dance music.
And the content of the message, as well
as the manner of delivering it, have often
been degraded as well.
In saying that, I am in no way
suggesting that we should be stilted or artificial
in our presentation of the gospel.
A messenger need not be an orator.
But one of the practical effects of having
been in the high mountain with God should
be that the message be brought in keeping
with such a sublime experience.
The glorious gospel of the Lord Jesus is
worthy of the best that we can do.
But it is sometimes argued that men of
the world do not understand or appreciate the
lofty language of scripture.
Experience does not bear that out, however.
I have often found the opposite to be
the case.
It has amazed me more than once to
note how the uneducated and uncultured seem to
respond most heartily to a message which is
almost wholly cast in the language of scripture
itself.
It seems that they recognize the divinity of
the message instinctively.
We all know that there is something which
the best schools in the country cannot communicate.
Be the home ever so humble and ever
so poor so far as this world's goods
are concerned.
If the word of God is read and
taught there, a culture will be found which
is easily recognizable by all who have ears
to hear and eyes to see.
In the good providence of God, I was
born into such a home.
Because of economic conditions, I was not able
to avail myself of the privilege of going
to high school after completing my studies in
the grade schools.
It was not until after I was married
and had a family of my own that
it became possible for me to obtain more
formal education.
In the city in which we lived at
that time, there was a state university.
I enrolled there as a special student at
the suggestion of the president of the university.
After two years of that, I was urged
by the dean of the university to qualify
for a degree.
In order to do that, I had to
pass an entrance examination.
And I still remember the fear with which
I approached the examination in English.
But I never had a better opportunity to
prove the value of home training in the
reading and study of the holy scriptures.
The examination lasted several hours.
And after it was all over and I
learned that I had passed, I requested to
see my paper.
The request was granted.
I noted corrections here and there, but the
thing that interested me most was a comment
at the top of my paper.
Comment, this paper smacks of Shakespeare or the
Bible.
Until that time I had read but little
of Shakespeare's works, but I had read my
Bible.
And evidently it had left its mark on
me.
As I thought over that remark, it occurred
to me that the English of our King
James Version of the Bible is what might
be called the English of Shakespeare.
It is the English Bible which has kept
it alive and current even to this day.
And but for that fact we might have
as much difficulty in reading the writings of
Shakespeare as most of us have in trying
to read the works of Chaucer and Spencer
without a dictionary.
The professor who graded my paper was not
slow to identify a quality which is sadly
lacking in much of the preaching of our
times.
It may be that we do not read
the scriptures as assiduously as the generation that
preceded us.
They seem to have been so steeped on
language of scripture that it was evident to
all that they lived in scripture.
They had fewer books about the Bible than
we have.
Therefore they were not exposed as we are
to that which is best.
At best is but second rate when compared
with the Bible.
We need again to get up into the
high mountains.
All of this leads quite naturally to the
next thing here.
Lift up thy voice with strength.
In other words, when you preach the gospel,
the glorious gospel of the grace of God,
let's put all that we have into it.
If we do that we shall not leave
people in doubt as to what we mean.
Those who warn men to flee from the
wrath to come should do so with urgency
and solemnity.
This is solemn business.
The very tone of our voices should indicate
to the listener that we are in dead
earnest.
It is written of the apostles that they
so spake that a great multitude both of
Jews and also Greeks believed.
Barnabas testified of Paul that right after his
conversion he spake boldly in the name of
the Lord Jesus.
And it was Paul himself who asked, If
the trumpet give an uncertain sound, who shall
prepare himself to the battle?
When we witness to the word of God
let us strive to leave the impression that
we really believe what we preach.
And I am confident that if we have
been on the high mountain in the immediate
presence of the Lord himself before we face
the public we shall have no difficulty in
this respect.
But the preach of the gospel also needs
courage.
Accordingly, the next thing we have here is
a word of encouragement.
Be not afraid.
God has not given us the spirit of
cowardice but of power and love and of
a sound mind.
The gospel which we preach requires no apologies.
Our education may be limited and we may
be limited in other ways also.
But the gospel is not deficient in any
way.
Therefore we should proclaim it boldly.
We have known individuals who were naturally timid
in retiring but who, when speaking about the
Lord Jesus, not only waxed eloquent but they
manifested a courage that was positively amazing.
That comes from knowing who it is that
we preach and from a sense of the
dignity of the position of one who represents
the King of kings and Lord of lords.
Such may like Paul be cast into prison
for his sake without losing sight of the
fact that even there they are ambassadors in
bonds.
Brethren, we're ambassadors for Christ.
Therefore, be not afraid.
Having considered the preparation, let's now consider the
field of operation.
We note that Zion, the evangelist, is sent
to the cities of Judah which were her
sister cities, of course.
This is also according to the pattern given
us in the New Testament.
The disciples of our Lord were sent first
of all to the cities of their own
country.
They were to be witnesses unto the Lord
Jesus both in Jerusalem and all Judea and
Samaria and then to the uttermost part of
the earth.
But they were to begin right at home,
so to speak.
The regions beyond would be reached in due
course.
It should be feared that some are attracted
to the regions beyond who have never witnessed
very much at home.
But such is not the order here.
To make that very practical, I would like
to suggest that we take upon our hearts
the burden of the cities of our own
country.
Let us prayerfully support those whom the Lord
has specially gifted and equipped for the task
of reaching them with the gospel.
But let us not forget the cities of
other countries where the light of the gospel
has not come as yet.
For example, we have it on good authority
that there are thousands of cities, towns, and
villages in France where there is as yet
no evangelical testimony.
Oh, that the Lord will raise up someone
to go forth as an evangelist to those
cities and their other countries just as needy.
The message given to the evangelist is brief
but full of meaning.
It is not one of personal testimony, wonderful
as that may be.
No mere human experience can ever be as
effective and powerful as the gospel whose theme
is the person and work of the Lord
Jesus Christ.
It is our chief business to bear witness
to him.
In keeping with this, Zion is told to
tell the cities of Judah, Behold your God.
This message implies that God can be seen.
If it be asked how that may be
possible, we have a ready answer in the
scripture itself.
The Word, who is God, became flesh and
dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory,
says the Apostle John.
God was manifest in the flesh, says Paul,
by the same Spirit.
And both were referring to the Lord Jesus,
and both were emphasizing his deity.
And that is precisely what is emphasized in
the message given to Zion for her sister
cities.
If the one whom we preach be not
God, then there is nothing distinctive about the
message which we bring.
The importance of that is evident in the
sayings of our Lord himself.
To the Pharisees of his day he said,
If ye believe not that I am, ye
shall die on your sins.
Again he said, Before Abraham was, I am.
If he be not God, he could not
rightly say, Let not your heart be troubled.
Believe in God, believe also in me.
Only one who is equal with God could
ask us to trust him even as we
trust God.
And those who obey from the heart the
summons, Behold your God, soon discover that there
is only one man to whom these words
apply.
It is the man Christ Jesus.
He is both God and man.
He is the only being in the universe
of whom that can be said.
And that makes him altogether unique.
It is just that that gives both character
and value to the gospel of which he
is the theme.
It is remarkable that the same passage which
tells us that God was manifest in the
flesh also tells us that he was seen
of angels.
From that we may infer that before the
incarnation God was never seen of angels.
Previous to this even the seraphim covered their
faces in his presence while they cried one
to another and said, Holy, holy, holy is
the Lord of hosts.
The whole earth is full of his glory.
We are not told what effect this first
sight of God manifest in the flesh may
have had on the angels.
But we do know what effect it had
upon the prophet.
When he saw the Lord sitting upon a
throne high and lifted up, he said, Woe
is me, for I am undone, because I
am a man of unclean lips.
And I dwell in the midst of a
people of unclean lips.
For mine eyes have seen the King, the
Lord of hosts.
In similar strain we hear Job also saying,
I have heard of thee by the hearing
of the ear.
But now mine eyes seeth thee.
Therefore I abhor myself and repent in dust
and ashes.
Such are the effects of beholding God in
the person of his Son.
It is then that we see ourselves as
God sees us.
The same thing is implied in the statement
made by Paul when he says, All have
sinned and come short of the glory of
God.
Note that he does not say all have
sinned and failed to measure up to the
standards of conduct which befit a human being.
Neither does he say that all have sinned
and failed to live up to the Ten
Commandments or the Sermon on the Mount.
All of that, no doubt, would be true.
But it does not go far enough.
The standard of measurement is the glory of
God.
And where do you see that?
In the face of Jesus Christ.
For God who commanded the light to shine
out of darkness has shined in our hearts
to give the light of the knowledge of
the glory of God in the face of
Jesus Christ.
How important it is then to present Christ
both as God and as man.
Say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your
God.
The fact that he is presented as your
God shows that he has a claim upon
us.
And as our God he has rights over
each one of us.
In the following verse he is presented as
the coming one.
Behold the Lord God will come with strong
hand or with might.
And when he comes with strong hand it
is to deliver his people.
This expression implies at least two things.
First, they're in a desperate situation.
And second, they're unable to deliver themselves.
It's evidently a time of crisis.
The power which holds them in its grip
is too great for mere human strength to
overcome.
But when there is none to help or
uphold, then his own arm brought him salvation.
Because of that we can say with Paul,
I'm not ashamed of the gospel of Christ
for it's the power of God.
It is salvation to everyone that believeth.
And since the passage which we are considering
is prophetic, we believe that there's a sense
in which the Lord will come again with
strong hand to deliver his ancient people Israel.
On the other hand we are sure that
we may also claim it in times of
crisis.
Behold the Lord's hand is not shortened that
it cannot save.
Neither is ear heavy that it cannot hear.
Next we learn that the same one who
serves saves also rules.
His arm shall rule for him.
The one whom we preach as savior is
also the divinely appointed sovereign.
And that applied to the individual as well
as to the universe.
That heart that has been cleansed from sin
by his precious blood must now become his
royal throne.
We know only too well from first experience
how the natural man resents and refuses such
control.
But those who have submitted their hearts and
lives to his beneficent control gladly confess that
nothing has brought them greater joy than this.
To have him in control means that one's
life is delivered from the confusion and failure
that is so prevalent today.
Truly his yoke is easy and his burden
is light.