Isaiah 42, verse 18 to 43, verse 1.
And Chris is going to read.
Thanks, Chris.
Isaiah 42, verse 18.
Hear you deaf, look you blind and see.
Who is blind but my servant and deaf like the messenger I send?
Who is blind like the one in covenant with me, blind like the servant of the Lord?
You have seen many things, but you pay no attention.
Your ears are open, but you do not listen.
It pleased the Lord for the sake of his righteousness, to make his law great and glorious.
But this is a people plundered and looted, all of them trapped in pits or hidden away in prisons.
They have become plunder with no one to rescue them.
They have been made loot with no one to say, send them back.
Which of you will listen to this or pay close attention in time to come?
Who handed Jacob over to become loot and Israel to the plunderers?
Was it not the Lord against whom we have sinned?
For they would not follow his ways.
They did not obey his law.
So he poured out on them his burning anger, the violence of war.
It enveloped them in flames, yet they did not understand.
It consumed them, but they did not take it to heart.
But now, this is what the Lord says.
He who created you, Jacob.
He who formed you, Israel.
Do not fear, for I have redeemed you.
I have summoned you by name.
You are mine.
Thanks so much, Chris.
Well, let's ask the Lord for his help to us all as we look at his word together.
Let's pray.
Father, we pray that we will hear your voice clearly.
That you would speak to our hearts afresh.
And you would help us to see clearly the wonder of our redeeming God.
Father, do marvelous things in our lives for our good and for your glory.
Amen.
Well, over the last couple of Sundays, we've been looking at Isaiah 42, which prepares us for Christmas, the Christmas season.
It's been telling us about God's promise, verse 1, about his servant whom I uphold, my chosen one, in whom I delight.
God's promise to send a chosen servant.
And this chosen servant, verse 13, would be like a champion, like a warrior who will triumph over his enemies.
A servant warrior who will come to renew and restore our lives in this broken world.
And this last section that we've just had read to us tells us why we need a savior.
Why we need the servant to come and be our champion warrior.
So we're going to look at the last section together.
And there's three things, three big ideas that we want to think about as we look at this.
Where we are, how we got here, and how to get out.
Okay, where we are, how we got here, and how to get out.
So, where are we?
Well, look at verse 22.
He says,
Pits and prisons.
Plundered and looted.
That's where we are.
But you say, hang on a minute.
I live in a very nice home, and I have all that I need.
I don't think I've been plundered.
What do you mean by being in pits and prisons?
Well, let me explain.
Remember, Isaiah is a prophet.
And he's writing about 750 years before the birth of Christ.
And he's also writing about 200 years before the exile of God's people into Babylon.
In other words, Isaiah is writing about events way in the future for him.
So look at verse 9.
He says,
See, the former things have taken place, and new things I declare.
Before they spring into being, I announce them to you.
So Isaiah is foretelling what is going to happen into the future.
Now, if we look back to chapter 39, we will see what has been foretold.
Chapter 39, verse 5.
Here's things he's foretelling that are going to happen.
39, verse 5.
Then Isaiah said to Hezekiah, he was the king of Judah,
Hear the word of the Lord Almighty.
The time will surely come when everything in your palace
and all that your predecessors have stored up until this day
will be carried off to Babylon.
Nothing will be left, says the Lord.
You see, plundered and looted.
Then verse 7.
And some of your descendants, your own flesh and blood,
who will be born to you, will be taken away
and they will become eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon.
So plundered and looted,
made captives, pits and prisons.
And all that God had said,
go back to 42,
through Isaiah,
came to pass.
About 200 years later,
after writing these words,
in 587,
the Babylonians swarmed in
and attacked Judah,
God's people.
And they were plundered
and looted
and the people were taken
into captivity.
They were exiled.
And what was worse,
look at the second part of verse 22.
They became plundered
with no one to rescue them.
They had been made loot
with no one to say,
send them back again.
No one to rescue them from exile.
No one to deliver them.
They were hopeless
and broken.
Geographically,
they were displaced.
They were taken off to another land,
another location.
Politically,
they were ruined.
Their kings had been taken over.
And economically,
they were poor.
they had become slaves.
Now,
this physical reality
for God's people,
this exile
of being in pits
and prisons
and looted
and plundered,
is also a picture
of the entire
human race.
Because the New Testament
writers pick up
on this whole theme
and remind us
and tell us
that if we are not Christians,
we are exiled
from God.
We may be
settled in our homes.
We can have great jobs.
We can be enjoying life.
But deep down,
the home that we live in,
our physical homes,
is a reflection
of our being exiled
from our true home.
We can be immersed
in our communities.
We can be immersed
in our clubs.
But inside of us,
our hearts are restless.
We're always on the move,
roaming and searching,
looking for something
better and greater.
And no matter where we go
or what we seem to do,
we feel this sense
of being displaced.
It's like we feel
we're a refugee,
that we're stuck
and we can't get out.
We know there must be
something better
and greater,
but we can't seem
to get it.
And what the Bible
tells us is,
we're actually
all in exile.
We're away
from our true home,
our true Father God.
We're separated
from God
and excluded
from his presence.
We were created
for intimacy,
to know him,
to enjoy him.
But that is now
all lost.
So it's not just
the people
way back in Isaiah's time
who've been
plundered
and sent
into exile.
That physical exile
is a picture
of our
spiritual exile,
separated from God
and all that is
good.
And the problem is,
as it says
at the end
of verse 22,
there's no one
to rescue,
no one to come
and say,
bring them back
again
into their
true
home.
So where are we?
Well,
we're in
exile.
Second,
how did we
actually get here?
How did we get
to be in a place
of exile?
Well,
in this section
of Isaiah,
it seems to be
two things
that tell us
why people
end in exile.
The first
is we're deaf
and blind.
Look at verse 18.
Hear,
you deaf,
look,
you blind,
and see.
Who is blind
but my servant
and deaf
like the messenger
I send?
God had
clearly spoken
but they
remained deaf
to his word.
He had
clearly acted
but they
were blind
to his ways.
You see,
about 20 years
earlier,
their brothers
in the north,
so there was
Israel in the north,
Judah in the south,
those in the north
faced the might
of the Assyrians.
That was the power
then.
And God
told them
that if they
kept rejecting
God,
they would be
exiled.
Another nation
would come
and destroy
them.
But they
paid no
attention.
And just
as God
said in
722,
the Assyrians
did come
into the north
and take
Israel
off
into
exile.
Now Isaiah
is speaking
to his people
in the south,
in Judah,
and he's
making it
crystal clear.
He said,
what God
said to his
brothers,
to your
brothers,
that came
true.
They were
taken off
into exile
and they
didn't learn
the lesson.
They remained
unchanged.
Verse 20,
you have
seen many
things.
You've seen
what had
happened to
your brothers
in the north,
but you
paid no
attention.
Your ears
are open.
you heard
their
cries,
but you
do not
listen.
Now again,
the writers
of Scripture
apply this
kind of
deaf and
blind language
to ourselves.
We are
deaf or
can be
deaf to
God's
word.
We can
be blind
to God's
ways.
You'll
know that
our daughter
here,
I did
ask
Rebecca
for her
permission
to speak
about
this,
that she
was born
deaf,
but she
has a
cochlear
implant
that gives
her access
to hearing.
Now when
she was
very young
and I
was trying
to get
her attention,
I would
shout at
her and
call her
and Rebecca
don't do
that.
And if
she didn't
want to
listen,
she would
just simply
take off
her cochlear
implant and
then mouth
to me,
I can't
hear you.
And then
I'd turn
around and
say,
but Rebecca
watch my
lips,
don't do
that,
you can
see.
And then
she'd close
her eyes
and mouth
and say,
I can't
see you.
Now that
is what we
have done,
isn't it?
Isn't that a
picture of
the world?
That we
have been
blind to
God's
ways.
We have
been deaf
to all
that God
has said.
And look
how God
responds to
all of
this death
and blindness
as we
refuse to
listen.
He says
we are
handed over.
God
takes
decisive
action.
Verse
24.
Who
handed
Jacob
over to
become
loot and
Israel to
the plunderers?
Yes,
there was
Assyria.
Yes,
there were
the Babylonians,
nations who
were going
and doing
about their
own business.
But there
was more
to it than
that.
Look at the
rest of
verse 24.
Was it
not the
Lord
against whom
we have
sinned?
For they
would not
follow his
ways.
They did
not obey
his law.
You see,
the nations
did come in
and take
people off
into exile,
but working
through all
those acts
was the
Lord.
He was
taking them
into exile.
Not just
physically,
but it was a
reminder that
spiritually they
have drifted
far from
him.
Now,
haven't we
heard this
kind of
story before?
Isn't this
what happened
at the very
beginning of
the world
with the
first man
and first
woman?
God again
had spoken
his word.
He had
showed them
how to
live,
but they
were deaf
to God,
blind to
his ways,
and as a
result they
were shut
out of the
garden,
exiled from
God's
presence and
blessing,
living in a
world that
is cursed,
a life of
being enslaved
to living
their own
way and
fearing
death.
God had
handed
Adam and
Eve over
to exile.
And so
that pattern
has continued.
What happened
in the
garden,
what happened
with Judah
has been
the same
for every
living person
on this
planet.
Here's how
the Apostle
Paul puts
it in
Romans 1.
He says
the wrath
of God
is being
revealed
from heaven
against all
the godlessness
and wickedness
of people
who
suppress
the truth.
They know
the truth
but they
want to
keep it
down.
For
although
they knew
God,
they neither
glorified him
as God
nor gave
thanks to
him.
They
exchanged
the truth
about God
for a lie
and worshipped
and served
created things
rather than
the creator
who is
forever
praised.
Amen.
You see,
we have
all blocked
our ears
to God's
words.
We have
all closed
our eyes
to God's
ways.
And that
is the
reason why
we end
up in
exile
separated
from our
true home.
You see,
exile isn't
just kind
of something
that has
happened.
it is
God's
decisive
action.
Look at
the end
of verse
24
again.
For
they would
not follow
his ways,
they did
not obey
his law,
so he
poured out
on them
his burning
anger,
the violence
of war.
it enveloped
them in
flames,
yet they
did not
understand.
It consumed
them,
but they
didn't take
it to
heart.
You see,
this isn't
God just
having a
bad day.
He's not a
grumpy old
man on
Stephen's day
who's losing
his temper
with all the
kids who
are having
great fun.
God's
fear in
just
response to
a world
that
continues
to push
him out.
God will
not go
on letting
us ruin
our own
lives and
destroying the
world we're
in.
He will
take action
and what
happened then
is a picture
of what is
going to
happen in
the future.
The Lord
Jesus will
come again
and he
will judge.
It wasn't
an easy
message for
Isaiah to
communicate and
it's not an
easy message
for us to
communicate or
to even
hear.
But sometimes
we must face
up to the
reality of
how God
sees the
world and
how he sees
it from his
perspective and
not our
own.
So where
are we?
Well if
we're
unbelievers
we're in
exile.
How did
we get
here?
By being
deaf to
God's
word and
blind to
God's
ways.
So how
do we get
out?
How do we
get out of
the mess
that we're
in?
How do
we if we
are Christians
help others
get out of
the mess
that we are
in?
Well as
we look at
the last
verse chapter
43 verse
1 it's a
wonderful summary
of all that
God has
done for
us to
how we
get out.
First
there is
God's
gracious
intervention.
Chapter
43 verse
1.
But now
look at
all that's
taken place
but now
something new
is going to
happen.
Something
different.
This is what
the Lord
says.
He who
created you
Jacob.
He who
formed you.
God is
going to
speak into
the situation.
You may
have no one
to rescue
you from
your exile.
No one
is going to
send you
back home.
But I
am coming
and I
will bring
you back
to your
land.
And that's
what God
would do
if we were
to read
on in
Isaiah.
We would
see that
God would
raise up
Cyrus from
another nation
and he
would bring
them back
to their
own land
again.
But again
these are
all pictures
and all
helping us
to see
of what
God is
going to
do in
the future.
He is
going to
come.
and rescue
his people.
He will
intervene
through his
son the
Lord Jesus
Christ.
Have a
look with
me please
to Luke
chapter 4.
Luke
chapter 4.
Here Jesus
takes the
words of
Isaiah.
Not from
Isaiah 42
but from
Isaiah 60
but it's
speaking of
similar themes.
Luke
chapter 4
verse 17.
Jesus is in
the synagogue
and he
stood up
to read
verse 17
and the
scroll of
the prophet
Isaiah
was handed
to him.
Unrolling
it he
found the
place where
it is
written
the spirit
of the
Lord is
on me
because he
has anointed
me to
proclaim good
news to
the poor.
He has
sent me to
proclaim freedom
for the
prisoners
and recovery
of sight
for the
blind
to set
the oppressed
free
to proclaim
the year
of the
Lord's
favour.
Then he
rolled up
the scroll
gave it
back to
the
attendant
and sat
down
and the
eyes of
everyone
in the
synagogue
were
fastened
on him.
He
began
by saying
to them
today
this
scripture
is
fulfilled
in your
hearing.
Let's
go back
to Isaiah
42.
You see
Jesus is
saying
all that
Isaiah
was speaking
about
I am
the
fulfilment
of all
of that.
You're
looking for
physical
restoration
to bring
you back
to the
land but
I'm
here to
do
something
bigger
and
greater.
I have
come to
restore
you
from
your
exile
from
God
your
father
to
bring
you
back
into
right
relationship.
That's
why
chapter
42
verse
7
the
servant
verse
7
will
open
eyes
that
are
blind
to
free
captives
from
prison
and
to
release
from
the
dungeon
those
who
sit
in
darkness.
You see
Jesus
comes
to
announce
good
news
that
he
will
enable
us
to
see
his
ways
and
to
hear
his
words
to
set
people
free
from
their
exile
to
bring
them
back
to
their
new
home
their
true
home
but
now
God
is
intervening
and he
doesn't
wait
for the
nation
to
turn
to
God
intervenes
before
they
have
a
chance
to
reach
out
to
him
and
it's
the
same
for
us
in
the
middle
of
our
stubbornness
and
refusal
to
hear
and
listen
God
graciously
intervenes
in our
life
to
save
and
to
rescue
so
first
there
is
God's
gracious
intervention
through
his
son
second
there's
God's
loving
redemption
again
look at
chapter
43
first
one
we'll
read it
all
but
now
this
is
what
the
Lord
says
he
who
created
you
he
who
formed
you
do
not
fear
for
I
have
redeemed
you
God
is
going
to
come
and
rescue
his
people
to
redeem
them
from
exile
in
fact
God
is
going
to
bring
about
another
exodus
because
remember
when
God's
people
were
in
Egypt
this
was
another
time
it
seems
their
entire
life
their
history
was
in
slavery
in
one
way
or
another
way
back
at
the
beginning
they
were
in
Egypt
slaves
in
captivity
and
God
said
he
would
come
and
redeem
them
and
the
way
in
which
they
were
redeemed
from
their
slavery
in
Egypt
was
to
walk
through
the
Red
Sea
do you
remember
the
waters
were
piled
up
on
either
side
so
that
God's
people
could
walk
out
of
slavery
to
the
promised
land
and
then
as
they
got
through
the
pursuing
Egyptians
the
water
came
in
on
top
of
them
and
they
were
drowned
!
Now
God
is
saying
to
them
I'm
going
to
bring
an
exodus
to
you
I'm
going
to
bring
you
out
of
exile
in
a
way
that
you
could
never
imagine
look
at
verse
2
when
you
pass
through
the
waters
I
will
be
with
you
when
you
pass
through
the
rivers
they
will
not
sweep
over
you
see
Isaiah
is
looking
way
back
to
the
exodus
that
had
happened
and
now
he's
pointing
them
forward
to
the
future
and
saying
a
time
is
coming
it's
all
future
tense
isn't
it
I
will
be
with
you
when
you
pass
through
the
rivers
they
will
not
sweep
over
you
God
is
going
to
do
something
great
in
leading
his
people
out
not
just
of
a
political
or
economical
situation
but
of
something
spiritual
to
restore
and
to
renew
I'm
going
to
bring
you
out
of
exile
to
your
new
home
an
eternal
home
why
would
God
do
that
well
look at
verse
four
here's
the
reason
since
you
are
precious
and
honored
in
my
sight
and
because
I
love
you
God
loved
his
people
and
God
loves
us
he's
heard
what
we
have
said
he's
seen
what
we
have
done
and
yet
he
still
loves
us
he
intervenes
into
our
life
to
redeem
us
so
that
he
can
say
verse
two
do
not
fear
for
I
have
redeemed
you
it's
as if
it's
already
taken
place
it's
not
I
will
redeem
you
but
I
have
redeemed
you
I've
already
done
it
before
you
have
a
chance
to
respond
I've
come
and
made
it
all
possible
because
I
love
you
I
have
redeemed
you
so
God
graciously
intervenes
to
bring
a
redemption
and
then
third
God's
joyful
adoption
of
those
who
he
redeems
look
at
the
end
of
verse
one
of
chapter
43
I
have
summoned
you
by
name
and
you
are
mine
it's
a
picture
of
adoption
and
of
welcoming
back
those
who
had
been
separated
from
him
I
remember
when I
was in
school
being
summonsed
by the
head
master
I don't
know if
you've
ever had
that
experience
in the
middle
of one
of the
classes
the
head
master
came
in
and
just
called
out
grant
in
the
office
that
was
an
experience
of
fear
I
took
my
time
walking
over
to
delay
the
inevitable
well
here's
the
good
news
God
is
not
like
that
he
sees
us
as
child
refugees
separated
excluded
lost
he
summons
us
he
calls
us
to
himself
because
we are
homeless
living
in fear
living
in
exile
and
he
calls
us
by
name
and
with
a
fatherly
embrace
says
you
are
mine
forever
you
see
God
is
the
true
servant
the
true
champion
warrior
who
has
come
to
rescue
people
like
us
from
exile
to
bring
us
to
our
true
home
back
into
relationship
with
the
father
to
receive
from
him
all
the
blessings
of
life
he
intervenes
he
redeems
and
he
adopts
turn
with me
as we
close
to
Isaiah
65
verse
17
just
to
give
a
glimpse
of
the
true
home
that
we
are
all
waiting
for
and
longing
for
Isaiah
65
verse
17
see
I
will
create
new
heavens
and
a
new
earth
the
former
things
will
not
be
remembered
nor
will
they
come
to
mind
but
be
glad
and
rejoice
forever
in
what
I
will
create
for
I
will
create
Jerusalem
to
be
a
delight
and
its
people
a
joy
I
will
rejoice
over
Jerusalem
I
will
take
delight
in
my
people
the
sound
of
weeping
and
of
crying
will
be
heard
in
it
no
more
never
again
will
there
be
in
it
an
infant
who
lives
but
a
few
days
or
an
old
man
who
does
not
live
out
his
years
the
one
who
dies
at
a
hundred
will
be
sought
a
mere
child
!
the
one
who
fails
to
reach
a
hundred
will
be
considered
accursed!
It's
beautiful
poetic
language
to
explain
their
life
will
go
on
forever
and
forever
and
all
things
will
be
restored!
Verse
25
The
wolf
and
the
lamb
will
feed
together
the
lion
will
eat
straw
like
the
ox
and
dust
will
be
the
serpent's
food
they
will
neither
harm
nor
destroy
on
all
my
holy
mountain
says
the
Lord.
Here
is our
loving
redeemer
who
comes
to bring
us
back
from
exile
through
a
greater
exodus
to
know
that
wonderful
joyful
adoption
of
our
true
home
to
come.
Let's
pray.
Our
Father
God
we
thank
you
for
your
wonderful
intervention
through
your
son
the
Lord
Jesus.
Thank
you that
you have
come to
redeem
us
to set
us
free
to
bring us
home and
into
relationship
with you
so that
we may
enjoy you
and know
you
and live
with hope
for the
new
creation
to come.
Father
would you
help us
as we
leave and
as we
separate
as we
go to
friends and
family
and into
our
community
that we
would be
those who
bring a
message of
hope
of God's
intervention
and
redemption
a
father who
will embrace
and welcome
all who
will turn
to him.
father
would you
please
work in
us
and
through us
we pray
in
Jesus
name
amen
we're
going to
sing
together
all
people
that on
earth
do
dwell
sing
to
the
Lord
with
cheerful
voice
out