Justice and Glory : Isaiah 59 : 9

<p>Justice and Glory: Isaiah 59:9 - 60:16</p>
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<p><br/>Bert Harper: The theme in Isaiah 59 is justice</p>
<p>&gt;&gt; Bert Harper: Welcome to Exploring the word. Isaiah, 59, what a great, great chapter. It's not filled with promise until you get close to the end, but the theme in Isaiah 59 is justice. Verse 4, no one calls for justice. Verse 8. And there is no justice in their ways. Verse 9. Therefore justice is far from us. Verse 11, we look for justice, but there is none. Verse 14, justice is turned back. And then finally in verse 15, and there was no justice. One of the hallmarks of a godless society is that of chaos, of lawlessness. And when you don't have a godly righteousness for your foundation, justice fails. This is Bert Harper along with Dr. Alex McFarland, and it's our joy to be with you today on Exploring the Word. And so, Alex, I, know, I appreciate so much Dylan being with you yesterday. And, and I know y' all got started in chapter 59, when God says, his hand is not shortened, that he cannot save, nor his ear heavy, that he cannot hear. That's awesome, isn't it? To know that God cares.</p>
<p>&gt;&gt; Alex McFarland: Well, amen. Not only that God cares, but that God has the ability to act. And you know, you're right to point out, over and over we see the words justice, which, at least in this, for Israel this time of national corruption and suffering, justice was pretty rare. Yesterday Dylan and I talked about how the people, it was like snake's eggs that got hatched. But you know, what we see here in, the absence of the culture are things that are provided by the Lord Jesus, the Savior. let me read verse 13. Well, 12 says, Our transgressions are multiplied before thee. Verse 13. In transgressing and lying against the Lord, departing away from God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering from the heart words of falsehood, Judgment is turned away backward, and justice stands afar off. Truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter. verse 14 is such a picture. Things that are necessary for any civilized society. Judgment, justice, truth, equity. Which can mean a couple of things. Fair treatment, equal treatment. These things are like lying dead in the street. truth fails. But see, here's the thing. Our Savior is these things and more. Verse 16. There was no man, there was no intercessor, no arm of salvation, no righteousness. Well, Jesus is those things, though. He is truth, righteousness, protection, intercession. So, Bert, what the culture spiritually was so bankrupt of, our Savior provides it in immeasurable amount.</p>
<p>&gt;&gt; Bert Harper: He does it individually, he does it collectively when he is reigning. And Alex, again, as you've read these, you could not help but look at these words turned back afar, off fallen fails, equity cannot enter. You see all these things. But the one that gripped me was right in the middle of verse 13, 15. Excuse me. Then the Lord saw it and it displeased him. it was evil. It was evil. It displeased him. And so, you know, the Lord is displeased when these things are occurring in our lives and in our society, and they are there now. He desires to bring it back. And then you also said, verse 16, there was no man and wondered that there was no intercessor. Now, Alex, those of us that are followers of Jesus Christ, we have an intercessor for us, but that does not mean we do not need to intercede for, for others. You've been sharing this quite often here. Last year and this year especially, Oh, God, we need a revival in America. We're interceding. We're asking God to help our nation to turn back. So how important is the ministry of intercession?</p>
<p>&gt;&gt; Alex McFarland: Oh, my goodness, it's vitally, vitally important. And to intercede a couple of things, it means to stand between, you know, imagine a little child perhaps, and some danger is coming, and you stand in between to be a shield. But also intercession means to appeal to be an advocate on behalf of someone else. When we are interceding and we're going to God in prayer, and we're maybe praying for somebody to be saved or somebody to, to be healed or, you know, we need God's help in a circumstance, and certainly the hundred million born again Christians in America, 30% of the population, it's estimated, we must intercede for our nation. Bert, when I read about the culture of Israel at this time, you know, feet running to do evil. The way of peace, they've not known. The way of God they've forsaken. Groping like a blind man in the dark with no eyes, trying to feel their way along the wall. Stumbling at noonday as in the night, verse 10. I mean, at noonday, it's high noon, bright sunshine, and yet these people are so far from God, they're like stumbling along in the dark. Well, if we're interceding, we're going to God. And we're saying, God, have mercy on this prodigal people. Send a great revival, Bert. you know, I want to get back to Isaiah 59, but when we talk about revival, you've seen it, I've seen it, folks. Worship services are great, and singing hymns and praise music, wonderful. And God gives us many wonderful experiences in corporate worship. There have been a couple of times in my life that I have seen God come into the room and. And, the Holy Spirit was so thickly present. It was just a different, different atmosphere. And that's what we need. It's happened before, it can happen again. And in talking about interceding and, you know, in Isaiah 59, he talks in verses 20 through 21 about, you know, deliverance coming from the Lord.</p>
<p><br/>Bert says every Christian should intercede for revival in America</p>
<p>Before we continue with God's Word in ancient Israel, I just would appeal to everybody listening to, please pray for the United States of America. We are so destitute, and I'm not sure people even really realize it, but we need the Lord. He can move. And, it's time that every Christian, every Christian take up the assignment to intercede and pray for revival in our prodigal nation.</p>
<p>&gt;&gt; Bert Harper: Alex, verse nine, the third line in my Bible here, I think describes what you were saying. We look for light, but there is darkness. And I think that describes, yes, we are looking for light, but, we see the darkness out there of turning to their own way and turning from the light that they have. In place of following the light, they are going away from the light that God has given to each of us and also our country as well. And so that's the position that they find themselves here in Israel at this time. Because again, verse 16, therefore his own arm brought salvation for him, and his own righteousness, it sustained him. Only through God is there that hope. He put on righteousness as a breastplate. Now here we're looking at the armor of God in Isaiah 59. Alex, listen to this. He put on righteousness as a breastplate, a helmet of salvation on his head. He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak. And again, here it is. We are ready. You've already said it. Jesus Christ is what we need. We need Him. He's the intercessor for us. He's the one that we're to follow. He equips us. He's the one that equips us to do this. And so, verse 19, so shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. Now listen to this. When the enemy comes in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. So what you've described, today and in previous days is the enemy coming in like a flood. We've been flooded with unrighteousness, flooded with crooked thinking and all of that. Now what is going to happen? The Spirit of the Lord. That's the only way. The revival will come as we. And again, the Spirit of the Lord will lift up a standard against him. God's on our side, we need to follow him. And as you said, here's the answer. It's Jesus Christ the Redeemer will come to Zion. To those who turn from transgression in Jacob, says the Lord. Now Alex, who's the redeemer?</p>
<p>&gt;&gt; Alex McFarland: It's Jesus.</p>
<p>&gt;&gt; Bert Harper: And he will come to Zion. He came, didn't he?</p>
<p>&gt;&gt; Alex McFarland: He did come and he's coming again.</p>
<p>&gt;&gt; Bert Harper: Amen.</p>
<p>&gt;&gt; Alex McFarland: And you know, they wouldn't have, they wouldn't have known. The death, resurrection, ascension, the 2000 year church age, this interval now in God's economy, I mean 2000 years is not long at all. it's the majority, chapter of human history. Bert, isn't it something that really the biggest chapter of human history and certainly the most significant is what we would call the church age, the birth, the ministry, resurrection, ascension of Christ, the Great Commission. But there is another seven year period coming called the Tribulation. But this Messiah, he's come and he's coming again. The rejection of Jesus at his incarnation was only partial. I mean they did very often people ask about, you know, the nation of Israel rejected their Messiah. Well, they didn't completely, did they? There was a lot of Jewish believers that did accept Jesus. But verse 19. So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, from his glory, from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him. Bert, could it be said for the Western world and even Christian America that for the last about five, six decades, the enemy has come in like a flood?</p>
<p>&gt;&gt; Bert Harper: I agree fully. And when you see this and what has taken place, I don't see how you could not understand that all the horrible things that they're doing to children, not just the trafficking, but the transition and so many things, the harmful things that are done as a country treats their children, ah, says more about them than we could ever dream. Alex, let me look at this. It starts out in chapter 59, verse one. Listen. Behold, the Lord's hand is not shortened, that he cannot save, nor his ear heavy, that it cannot hear. Now I know. Then it says, your iniquities are, separated. That's the reason that it has happened. But how it ends now the Redeemer will come to Zion. And to those who turn from transgression in Jacob, as for me, says the Lord, this is my covenant with them. My spirit who is upon you and my words, which I have put in your mouth, shall not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your descendants, nor from the mouth of your descendants. Descendants, says the Lord, from this time and forevermore, I am going to do my work. I'm going to have my people, my people. And they're going to share from the power of the Holy Spirit. So, Alex, it starts with hope, verse one, and it ends with hope. But in the middle of this is great heartache and difficulty. The no justice, great harm, truth being set aside. So that's what we find in Isaiah 59. It's one of the, I think, most significant chapters that you can read when it comes to what we as believers should bring to the table. Justice and righteousness and truth. Well, Alex, we're going to start in chapter 60 when we come back. And we want you to join us. And let God's word speak to your heart and let him draw you unto himself.</p>
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<p>&gt;&gt; Alex McFarland: When a mother looks at her child through a sonogram, m. It does something to you. You know, I ended up deciding to keep my son, who is now five years old today.</p>
<p>&gt;&gt; Bert Harper: He's amazing.</p>
<p>&gt;&gt; Alex McFarland: He brings absolute joy to my heart. I could not imagine life without him. Not only did they help me save his life, they saved my life by</p>
<p>&gt;&gt; Bert Harper: introducing a woman to her baby on ultrasound.</p>
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<p>&gt;&gt; Alex McFarland: Praise him for friends and family,</p>
<p>&gt;&gt; Bert Harper: for</p>
<p>&gt;&gt; Alex McFarland: the very air we breathe, for having everything we Need Won't somebody come praise the Lord with me? Yeah, Can I get a hallelujah, someone? And won't somebody come and praise the Lord with me? How about a hallelujah out there, America? We've got a lot to praise God for.</p>
<p><br/>Alex: Bert, do you really believe Jesus is coming back</p>
<p>Welcome back to Exploring the Word. Alex and Bert, we're kind of closing out chapter 59, which, verses 20 and 21 are a perfect kind of, prologue to chapter 60, really. and the Redeemer shall come to Zion. And unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord, as for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord. My spirit that is upon thee, and my words, which I've put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and forever. Bert, let's talk about this for a moment. Let me cue it up and you comment, if you would. The Redeemer is coming to Zion. That's Jesus. And 700 years after this was written, indeed, the Redeemer, capital R. This is a title. Jesus is the Savior. It says unto them who turn from transgression. So, Bert, having a relationship with the Redeemer, salvation, forgiveness. But we have to turn from sin to Christ, don't we?</p>
<p>&gt;&gt; Bert Harper: We really do. And it's going to happen. If you turn to, that means you're turning from. And this, is what he has said. And again, it's amazing to me, and I know I did it in the last segment, how that connects to chapter 59, verse 1, that the Lor