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Amen.
That is beautiful.
Thank you all so much.
It is really hard when it's 75 degrees to feel like Christmas, and music of Christmas
makes me excited.
So thank you all for serving us so well and leading us in worship.
I do love the songs of Christmas.
They have so much rich there about what God is actually doing in this time.
And we've been talking about that this Christmas season.
If you're visiting with us this weekend, here at Southwood, we have been talking from Isaiah
chapter 9 during the Christmas season, looking at this wonderful prophecy of Isaiah, the titles
given to Jesus in verse 6, Wonderful Counselor.
Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.
We've been talking about who Jesus is promised to be as the one coming to rescue God's people
and to rule righteously forever.
However, we're going to focus this morning on the end of the passage, but let me read the
whole thing for us one more time so we get the full picture of what God is promising through
the prophet Isaiah.
I thought about that as I was preparing for this morning.
We're just looking at the last verse.
Do we need to read the whole thing again?
I've read it so many weeks in a row.
And my second thought was, if Isaiah 9 ever gets old to me, there's something really wrong
going on.
You need to come check on me, okay?
This is a glorious passage, a beautiful promise of what God is doing.
On top of that, it is God's holy word.
It is his word.
So Isaiah chapter 9, we'll start at verse 1.
Give your attention to the reading of God's word.
But there will be no gloom for her who was in anguish.
In the former time, he brought into contempt the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali.
But in the latter time, he has made glorious the way of the sea, the land beyond the Jordan,
Galilee of the nations.
The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light.
Those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined.
You have multiplied the nation.
You have increased its joy.
They rejoice before you as with joy at the harvest, as they are glad when they divide the
spoil.
For the yoke of his burden and the staff for his shoulder, the rod of his oppressor, you
have broken as on the day of Midian.
For every boot of the tramping warrior in battle tumult and every garment rolled in blood will
be burned as fuel for the fire.
For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government shall be upon his
shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince
of Peace.
Of the increase of his government and of peace, there will be no end.
On the throne of David and over his kingdom to establish it and to uphold it with justice
and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Will you pray with me?
Father, we do thank you for your word.
We thank you that it teaches us.
We thank you that it guides us in truth.
We thank you that it shows us who you are and how you love us.
Would you teach us those things again this morning?
Father, send your spirit to teach our hearts your word that we might know you more, that
we might love you more, that we might serve you more.
Would you do that?
We ask in Jesus' name.
Amen.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this.
Isaiah gets to the end of all this glorious prophecy, this wonderful, hopeful words, and
he concludes with the statement of God's zeal.
It's going to see that all of this gets accomplished.
I want to talk this morning about God's zeal and what God is zealous for.
But first, let's make sure we know what the this is at the end.
Will do this.
What is this?
What has God promised will happen?
This is going to be somewhat of a review from what we've seen in this passage the past few
weeks.
But as you read through the first few verses, you see this is light coming into darkness,
verse 2.
Joy coming into sorrow, verse 3.
Peace coming into conflict, verses 4 and 5.
All, all of those things coming through a child born to be king forever.
What Isaiah is prophesying about is really God's fulfillment of his promises to redeem his people
and be their faithful covenant-keeping God.
Remember, all the way back to Abraham, God has promised his people that he will be their
God, that they'll have this special relationship with him.
He promised them a land, a place they could settle and call home.
And they'd inhabit it as a great nation, being his special people.
That's what it was going to look like to be blessed by their God.
In Exodus 19, God says it this way,
You yourselves have seen what I did to the Egyptians, how I bore you on eagles' wings and
brought you to myself.
What a beautiful way to picture what God did in the Exodus, right?
Not just delivering his people from slavery, but bringing them to himself to be his special
people.
Now, if you'll obey my voice, keep my covenant, you'll be what?
My treasured possession among all peoples.
All the earth is mine, but you shall be to me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.
We're going to have a special relationship, God says.
I will love you and protect you.
You will be my treasured possession, the ones I value and cherish.
Now have no other gods before me.
That's what comes next, right?
Trust me.
Worship me.
Obey my commandments.
But Israel doesn't do that, do they?
Over and over again, running after other gods, disobeying God's commands.
After many years, they even ask for a king like the rest of the nations.
They're not pleased with this God that they have that they don't see.
They want a king like the nations.
And after a bad experience with Saul, God gives them David, a man after his heart, to
lead his people in following after him and following his commands.
And through David, God renews his promise to his people.
Look at 2 Samuel chapter 7.
God's great promise to Israel through David.
God says,
You hear the promise of a land of their own again?
And I'll give you rest from all your enemies.
Moreover, the Lord declares to you, the Lord will make you a house, David.
I will raise up your offspring after you who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.
I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.
I'll be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son.
My steadfast love will not depart from him as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.
And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me.
Your throne shall be established forever.
Forever.
The promises of God again, right?
A land of their own.
A great and prosperous nation going to be protected from their enemies and have this wonderful place.
And now a king who's going to reign forever.
Not one who's going to be up and down, who just will last for a little while,
but stability and security and a leader you can count on forever.
All of those things happening.
Why?
Because God was going to be their God.
They were his special people, and God would make all of this happen as they follow him.
They get all the promises again, but again, they go their own way, don't they?
They turn from God to idols.
Their kings even lead them astray.
They begin to get overpowered by surrounding nations,
and so they will find themselves not in a promised land flowing with milk and honey,
but far away.
Not as a powerful nation, but scattered abroad and under the thumb of Babylonians and Assyrians.
Not seeing much evidence of their God and all his wonderful promises, right?
Israel would await that promised king for a long time.
And that's what the this in verse 7 is.
The zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this,
is that he will keep his promise and send that king.
He's going to be the righteous ruler on David's throne who indeed reigns forever.
Do the words look familiar now in verse 7?
His rule is going to keep increasing.
It will never end.
He will make God's way clear.
He will make the way to God clear.
He will be that way to God.
God himself come in might to protect his people forever.
To lead them into peace.
That's what's going to happen, God says.
This is what I'm promising.
All my promises will be fulfilled.
Despite your failures, Israel,
I'm still going to keep all my promises.
Despite your failures,
my special people will be redeemed
and led to follow me into all goodness and joy forever.
I'm still going to do it.
The Messiah is coming, right?
The one that's going to make this happen,
I'm sending him.
It's the hope and the joy of Christmas.
Rejoice.
Rejoice, Emmanuel.
God with us has come to Israel.
The God that was our hope,
that made us special,
that he was with us,
he has come.
That's what Isaiah promises.
Generations of waiting,
of anticipation.
That's what the previous seven verses hold in them.
All summed up in the this that God will do.
You've waited so long.
He's coming.
I will do it.
If you were Israel,
do you think you might have been at least a little bit skeptical?
I mean, really, God?
Really?
Again?
I've heard those promises before,
and I just,
I'm tired of getting my hopes up and being let down.
I feel like I'm just getting disappointed.
This is not what I expected.
I mean, we have a good king,
and I get worked up and think,
this is the guy,
and then he,
he all of a sudden turns rotten,
and then he dies,
and then we get two bad ones after him.
And now here we are sitting in Babylon.
Have you read Psalm 137,
the picture of God's people in Babylon?
It says they sat by the rivers and wept.
They wept,
being in exile from God's promised land.
Why?
They said things like,
how can we sing the songs of God in a foreign land?
How can we praise Yahweh
when we're not in the place He promised us
we were going to be
when we look around
and don't see His goodness to us?
Is this the prosperity and the peace
He had in mind for us?
This God seems to have lots of wonderful ideas,
but very little commitment to following through.
Can you feel how they might have felt,
what they might have thought,
hearing the prophecy of Isaiah,
the promise of a king to come?
We can feel those thoughts
because we know what it's like
to hear a commitment
and see it not followed through on,
don't we?
This Christmas,
I was told very clearly in black and white
that my Christmas cards would come in the mail
no later than December 18.
Now, I'll grant you,
I was a little behind.
That's not exactly an ideal time
to get your Christmas cards
that you're then wanting to send out,
but December 18th.
And as that day drew near
and there was no progress showing up,
as I began to call on the 17th and the 18th,
no matter whom I called,
no matter where I showed up,
the post office didn't seem to have the zeal
that I was hoping for
for getting my Christmas cards to me on the 18th.
Their commitment to the promise I had received
was pretty low.
Ah, they were going to come when they got there.
And nobody really knew where they were.
Remember,
we see promises of unending love discarded.
We hear campaign promises
and we joke about them
as things that will never happen.
That's almost the definition
of a campaign promise, right?
Something that will certainly never come true.
In a culture of low commitment
even to our promises,
is it any wonder that we doubt
God's commitment to our good?
Do you look around at your life sometimes
and look at a particular situation
you've been praying for
and you wonder if God really cares?
If He really has your best interest in mind?
Do you disclaim God's promises to yourself
and to others
and hesitate even to take them seriously
because you hate being let down
or disappointed
and you think,
oh, this is not going to go well
and I'm just going to get disappointed again?
Have you stopped thinking
about God's commitment to you at all?
When you think about God's commitment to you
and to your good as His child,
do you see it as nonchalant?
Is God being just kind of half-hearted
like, oh yeah, sure.
I mean, a little capricious.
If it works out,
if things go well for them, great.
If not, well, we'll do something else.
Is that how God feels about you?
Is that how you think
about His commitment to you?
God wants us to hear clearly this morning
something very, very different
from that level of commitment.
Something much more deeply passionate,
much more deeply secure than that.
He wants us to hear clearly
the zeal of the Lord of hosts
will do this.
His zeal, it's a Hebrew word
that speaks of ardent love,
of deep fervor.
It's a word translated usually
in the Scriptures either zeal
or jealousy.
Speaking of God being a jealous God,
like a lover who is deeply committed
to His beloved.
I love the way commentator Alec Motier
describes the word in this passage.
I want to show it to you.
He says,
it's the power of love
moving the Lord
to make His people's cause
His own
and the passionate commitment
of His nature
to fulfill His purposes for them.
That's what God's zeal means.
That He makes His people's cause
His own.
That your good
is the thing that becomes
His driving force,
His desire for you.
God makes His people's cause
His own.
Motier says it's His very nature
that makes God passionately committed
to His people
and His promises.
That's who He is.
It's not He's pretending
to be like this.
It is His very nature
to save His people,
to overthrow His foes,
and He has the power
to do it.
He will do it.
He's unwilling
to leave His people
stuck in their idolatry
of other gods.
Stuck apart from Him
and His glory.
He won't let you stay there.
He's unwilling
to leave His people
stuck in captivity
to other nations.
Stuck apart from the blessings
of His long-standing
covenant promises.
He won't leave you there.
So in Zechariah 1.14,
He uses this same word,
zeal,
to say this.
He says,
cry out,
thus says the Lord of hosts,
I am exceedingly jealous
for Jerusalem
and for Zion.
That's the way He feels
about His people.
Exceedingly jealous
for them.
I'm telling you,
this is no mild feeling
of a placid grandfather
in the sky
just with some well wishes.
This is the Lord of hosts.
The title used for God
is the commander
of all of heaven's armies
getting passionate
about someone
and something.
You know who?
About His people
and you know what?
About their salvation.
Isaiah tells us
in other parts
of his prophecy
what it looks like
when God gets zealous
for this.
Chapter 42,
the Lord goes out
like a mighty man,
like a man of war,
He stirs up His zeal.
He cries out,
He shouts aloud,
He shows Himself mighty
against His foes
because of His zeal
for His people.
Chapter 59,
He put on righteousness
as a breastplate
and a helmet of salvation
on His head.
He put on garments
of vengeance for clothing
and wrapped Himself
in zeal as a cloak.
What's God doing
when He gets zealous
for His people?
He's getting ready
for battle, isn't He?
God who's ready
to fight,
He's going to fight
for His people
to rescue the ones
He loves,
to move heaven and earth
to see His purposes
for them achieved.
Listen,
He may be coming
as a baby
in a manger,
but be assured
that Christmas
is no weak move
on the part
of an impotent deity.
Christmas is the strong
battle plan
of the omnipotent
Lord of hosts.
He will do this
and He has begun.
I want you to hear
John Calvin's words
on this because
I couldn't say
more beautifully
or poetically
if I tried
for a long time.
Calvin says,
God is absolutely
inflamed.
These words aren't
on the screen yet.
He's inflamed
with an uncommon
and extraordinary
desire to promote
the salvation
of the church.
He says,
there's no feeling
of our own
that matches
this zeal
that God has,
that we're trying
to use human words
to describe
a divine passion
that is so intense
it is wonderful
and inconceivable.
And then He finishes
this way.
God will come
with no light
or slow arm
to redeem His church
for He will be
all on flame
with amazing love
of believers
and anxiety
about their salvation.
Did you hear that?
all on flame
with amazing love
for believers.
So committed
to your well-being
that He entered
into this world
of pain
and distress
Himself
to rescue you.
He really did
want to be
your God.
Yes,
your God.
dear one
who's struggling,
who feels like
you've failed Him again
and you're stuck
in a cycle of sin
and chasing after
your own gods.
Yes,
you.
He feels that way
about you.
He came for you.
This wasn't just
a passing thought.
This was not a,
well,
maybe I will,
maybe that's a good idea,
maybe I won't.
A cosmic coin flip
in heaven,
God thinking,
heads one day,
tails the next day,
maybe,
maybe I'll care
about them.
It's very,
very different.
Since before
the creation
of the world,
He loved you
with an everlasting love
so intense
that He was willing
to die
to have you
live with Him.
That's how He feels
about you.
He has your best
interest at heart
so much so
that He was willing
to put all
of His omniscient wisdom,
all of His
omnipotent might,
all of His
eternal perspective
to work
to plan
your greatest
shalom,
your greatest
peace,
your complete
wholeness
in His perfect world
forever.
That's what this passage
says.
That's what God
has been doing.
He really is
good.
He really does
love you.
He really will
do this.
He's committed
to this.
You can be assured
of it.
Two questions
for us
by way of application
this morning.
First,
do you share
God's commitment?
Are you zealous
for the things
that He is
zealous for?
Does the kingdom
of King Jesus,
the well-being
of His creation,
the redemption
of other people
get you fired up?
Does it make you laugh
when I say that?
Or does that actually
get you excited?
What excites your passion
and engages your interest?
your intense concentration
and excitement?
This passage says
God is zealous
to see His light
come into darkness,
His joy
come into sorrow,
His peace
come into conflict,
all through His Son
coming into our lives.
Are you zealous
for that too?
Do you rejoice
in how He's come
into your life?
Are you committed
to seeing Him
come into the lives
of everyone you know,
even those
who keep failing you?
Are you committed
to seeing them know Him?
Or do you think,
ah, yeah,
I mean,
that would be nice.
Wouldn't that be cool
if someone else
met Jesus?
Do you feel like,
you know,
maybe if it happened,
it'd be neat
to be a part of?
Or are you longing
for that?
Does your heart ache
to be a part of that?
Do you want to see
that happen?
Do you pray
for His kingdom
to come?
Do you work
to see it advanced
in the lives of others?
God's heart is for people
to be blessed,
for a rule of justice
and peace
and righteousness
to impact Huntsville
and the rest of the world.
Is that your heart?
Is that what you
want to see happen
and be a part of?
Would you pray with me
that God would give us
some of His zeal
for the redemption
of people?
I think if we just,
if we just had an ounce of it,
just a fraction
of God's passionate,
burning zeal,
the way His heart
is aflame for believers
in Calvin's words.
If we just had a piece of that,
I think Huntsville
would be a different place.
Would you pray with me
that God would make
our hearts beat like His
for people in this city
and in this world?
Would we share
God's commitment?
That's certainly important.
Of course it's important
to share God's commitment.
Having our hearts
and priorities
match His.
But you know,
I think this passage
would ask us another question
even perhaps
more importantly.
Even perhaps more
at the heart
of Isaiah's prophecy.
Do you share
His commitment?
Yes.
But also do you trust
His commitment?
Do you trust
His commitment?
Why do you think
the last sentence
in verse 7 is there?
Why that sentence
at the end
of these great promises
that the zeal
of the Lord of hosts
will do this?
Why is that needed?
I mean,
God's promised.
He's given you
His word, right?
He's given you
beautiful promises.
He's told you
it's going to happen
through this child
who's going to be born
and is going to be a king.
Why the last sentence?
I think perhaps
the primary reason
is so that our hearts
will be encouraged
to trust God's commitment.
that we will trust God's commitment
enough to have hope
in the dark times.
Because God never promised
we wouldn't struggle, right?
In fact,
He promised that in many ways
we would struggle
and suffer.
But when we do,
if you're anything like me,
it's easy to look around
and it's easy to think
like God's people
in the Old Testament.
God,
you're not looking faithful
to your promises
right now.
I'm tempted to wonder
if your commitment
is wavering.
Our circumstances
often tell us that,
don't they?
Our repeated sin
and failure
tell us that,
don't they?
Satan accuses us.
And we say,
surely God's commitment
to a failure like me
must be wavering right now.
And God says what?
I'm committed to you
zealously and eternally.
I sent my Son for you.
Don't forget that.
What does Paul say
in Romans 8?
What should we say
to these things,
to God's wonderful redemption?
We should say this.
If God is for us,
who can be against us?
If God did not spare
His own Son
but gave Him up for us all,
how will He not also,
along with Him,
graciously give us
all things?
He may not give us
what we think is best
in every situation,
but the gift of Jesus
at Christmas says
He will graciously give us
all things,
never letting us be separated
from His love,
Romans 8, right?
No matter how we feel,
no matter what life looks like,
no matter what our hearts
accuse us of
and our failures,
He sent His Son.
You can count on His love.
He really does know
what is ultimately best for us.
and He really is
zealously committed
to loving us forever.
We can trust Him.
Do we trust God's commitment enough
to have hope
even in the hard times?
And also,
do we trust God's commitment enough
not to think
that we will accomplish
these things
in our own strength?
As important as it is
for us to share
God's commitment
to the redemption
of His people
and the coming
of Christ's kingdom,
it's equally important
that we remember
this work rests
on His shoulders
and not ours.
His promise
is not that we will be
strong enough,
smart enough,
holy enough
to make it happen.
That's not the guarantee
at the end of this passage,
is it?
That we will be
strong enough,
smart enough,
holy enough.
In fact,
if you'll note
the baby in the manger
at Christmas,
you'll see He loves
to work through
weakness
and humility.
No, His promise
is not that we
will be strong enough.
His promise
is that He
will be committed enough,
zealous
to accomplish
His purposes.
Maybe Christmas
can be a reminder
to us
that when He kicked off
His earthly portion
of this mission
with the miraculous
wonder of the incarnation,
He didn't need
our strategy,
did He?
Did He ask for,
was that your idea?
Was that my idea?
Did we help make,
He didn't need
our strategy,
He didn't need
our strength,
He didn't need
our permission.
Redemption
comes as a gift
from Him,
not as a
cooperative agreement,
not a partnership
where we fulfill
our part of the bargain.
Israel never
fulfilled their part
of the bargain,
did they?
That's what we mean
when we talk about
salvation
by grace
alone.
It's something
accomplished
by the zeal
of the Lord
of hosts
as it always
has been.
His passionate
commitment
to redeeming
the people
He loves
so much
knows no bounds.
He won't be
turned away
by our rebellion.
He won't be
turned aside
by Satan's
temptation.
He won't be
turned back
by the agony
of the cross.
He will never
stop loving you.
Amen?
He will have
you to be
with Him
forever.
So we have
to acknowledge
our weakness
in order to
trust His strength.
We have
to acknowledge
our foolishness
to trust
His wisdom.
And when we do,
He saves us.
Not because
we worked hard
enough,
but because
He loved us
passionately enough.
That's why
He saves us.
We trust
Him.
And He promises
that to us
a child
will be born.
And to us
trusting
Him,
a son
will be given,
one upon
whose shoulders
the government
of His kingdom
will rest
so that it
doesn't weigh
on yours
or on mine.
He will be
the wonderful
counselor,
the mighty God,
the everlasting
Father,
the Prince
of Peace.
The zeal
of the Lord
of hosts
will do this.
Let's pray.
Father,
thank You
for being
zealous.
Thank You
for caring
passionately
about Your
people.
Thank You
for Your
commitment
to the
kingdom
of Your
Son
coming in
great power
and for us
knowing
the rich
blessings
that are
ours
as a part
of that.
we pray
Thy kingdom
come
on earth
as it is
in heaven.
Bring it
today,
Lord Jesus.
Bring it
in our hearts,
in our city,
in our world.
Would we
be confident
today
that You
have come
to see
that happen
and that You're
coming again
to make it
true forever?
May that
encourage our
hearts and give
us great joy.
we ask in
Your name.
Amen.
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Thank you.