15. In That Day

Posted on Posted in Sermon Notes Tagged with , , , ,

Hymns: RHC 229 Thy Kingdom Come, O God 227 O Glorious Day 228 Jesus Is Coming Again 

Isaiah 4:1-6

1 And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach. 2 In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. 3 And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: 4 When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning. 5 And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence. 6 And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.

In That Day

OUTLINE

(1) From Utter Desolation (v1)

(2) To Glorious Restoration (v2-4)

(3) God’s Calming Presence with His People (v5-6)

INTRODUCTION

There is a day when sin will be fully dealt on earth. The Lord allows the proliferation of sin as a eternal lesson for the redeemed one day when they look back over life’s history of how far they have come by the grace of God to the heavenly realm when sin is not longer able to corrupt.

The  Second Coming of the Lord Jesus Christ marks that day, the glorious restoration of the earth and its inhabitants to the blessing of the Edenic Paradise. Both the Old and New Testament in sync provides for us that Blessed Hope so that the people of God may find the strength to persevere – 1 John 3:2-3 (KJV) Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure.

The fall of Adam and Eve in the Garden and the ramifications of their sin, the resulting corruption, pollution and filth of sin plague man with untold sorrow, great grief, sickness and death. The tempter was there in the Garden with his bait to trap and ensnare God’s precious ones. Immediately after the fall, God initiated His redemption plan – Genesis 3:15 (KJV) And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel. Genesis 3:21 (KJV) Unto Adam also and to his wife did the LORD God make coats of skins, and clothed them.

The restoration of the earth and its inhabitants will come in the period the Bible records as the Millennia rule of Christ in the New Testament in His Second Coming. Satan, the Devil, and the old serpent will be bound for a thousand years.

Revelation 20:1-6 (KJV) And I saw an angel come down from heaven, having the key of the bottomless pit and a great chain in his hand. And he laid hold on the dragon, that old serpent, which is the Devil, and Satan, and bound him a thousand years, And cast him into the bottomless pit, and shut him up, and set a seal upon him, that he should deceive the nations no more, till the thousand years should be fulfilled: and after that he must be loosed a little season. And I saw thrones, and they sat upon them, and judgment was given unto them: and I saw the souls of them that were beheaded for the witness of Jesus, and for the word of God, and which had not worshipped the beast, neither his image, neither had received his mark upon their foreheads, or in their hands; and they lived and reigned with Christ a thousand years. But the rest of the dead lived not again until the thousand years were finished. This is the first resurrection. Blessed and holy is he that hath part in the first resurrection: on such the second death hath no power, but they shall be priests of God and of Christ, and shall reign with him a thousand years.

The effects of sin and its ramifications in the devastating effects upon the world is a sad spectacle but the corruption of God’s people in their rebellion against God is most grieving to read. This is the sad history of the nation of Israel that has been unfolded for us by the prophet Isaiah.

Our chart below, provided us with the devastating effects of sin upon the people of God, resulting in their exile in Babylon which the prophet Isaiah alluded they will not repent. And the greater exile for 2000 years in A.D. 70 by the Roman Army sees its effect till today. Though back in the land, Israel is far from God. It is for this reason, the Lord raised the church out of the remnant of Israel to fulfil His greater redemption plan not just for the Jews but for all the world. God’s covenant with Israel has never been annulled. We see the prophet Isaiah speaking of their restoration in his second message from Isaiah 2:1-4:6, Isaiah 2:2-4, and Isaiah 4:2-6 giving a message of hope and God’s faithfulness towards the keeping of His people.

2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD’S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. 3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. 4And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more. (Isa. 2:2-4 KJV)

2 In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. 3 And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: 4 When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning. 5 And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence. 6 And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.

As we survey the scene of human history at the close of this year of grace 2022, we realize that we are very near to the Lord’s return understanding that we have a mission entrusted by the Lord.

2 Peter 3:9-10 (KJV) The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. But the day of the Lord will come as a thief in the night; in the which the heavens shall pass away with a great noise, and the elements shall melt with fervent heat, the earth also and the works that are therein shall be burned up.

(1) From Utter Desolation (v1)

1 And in that day seven women shall take hold of one man, saying, We will eat our own bread, and wear our own apparel: only let us be called by thy name, to take away our reproach.

The effects of the slaughter upon the community have resulted in the men largely being eliminated leaving the womenfolk. The lively figure represented the seven women as earnestly soliciting one man in marriage, as a result of the disproportion between the sexes introduced by a destructive war.

The “daughters of Zion” were the embodiment of the degenerate spirit of their mother (3:16-23); they are the focus of divine cleansing (Isaiah 4). Their frenzied pursuit of beauty (3:16, 18) will find satisfaction in true beauty (v2). The unveiling of the Lord’s glory caused the city’s overthrow (2:10, 19, 21) but now that glory resides within (v2, 5).

(2) To Glorious Restoration (v2-4)

2 In that day shall the branch of the LORD be beautiful and glorious, and the fruit of the earth shall be excellent and comely for them that are escaped of Israel. 3 And it shall come to pass, that he that is left in Zion, and he that remaineth in Jerusalem, shall be called holy, even every one that is written among the living in Jerusalem: 4 When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion, and shall have purged the blood of Jerusalem from the midst thereof by the spirit of judgment, and by the spirit of burning.

The Branch of te LORD is a title pointing to the Messiah in His kingly and priestly offices (Jeremiah 23:5; 33:25; Zechariah 3:8; 6:12). In itself “branch” is a “family tree” metaphor. In Jeremiah, “the branch” is “for David” or “of David’s”.

Christ himself shall be exalted. He is the branch of the Lord, the man the branch; it is one of the prophetical names, my servant the branch (Zechariah 3:8; 6:12), the branch of righteousness (Jeremiah 23:5; 33:15), a rod out of the stem of Jesse and a branch out of his roots (Isaiah 11:1), and this, as some think, is alluded to when He is called a Nazarene,Matthew 2:23. Here he is called the branch of the Lord because planted by His power and flourishing to His praise. The Christ, or Messiah, of the Lord. He shall be the beauty, glory, and joy. He shall Himself be advanced to the joy set before Him and the glory which He had with the Father before the world was. He that was a reproach of men, whose visage was marred more than any man’s, is now, in the upper world, beautiful and glorious, as the sun in his strength, admired and adored by angels. He shall be beautiful and glorious in the esteem of all believers, shall gain an interest in the world, and a name among men above every name. To those that believe he is precious, he is an honour (1 Peter 2:7), the fairest of ten thousand (Song of Solomon 5:10), and altogether glorious. Let us rejoice that he is so, and let him be so to us. [Matthew Henry]

When sin is diminished and restricted when sin is removed nature will be renewed and released.

The Branch refers to the faithful remnant of Israel, and speaks of the people of His vineyard.

When the Lord will return, He shall purge Israel of her sins and restore Jerusalem.

Zechariah 14:20-21 (KJV) In that day shall there be upon the bells of the horses, HOLINESS UNTO THE LORD; and the pots in the LORD’S house shall be like the bowls before the altar. Yea, every pot in Jerusalem and in Judah shall be holiness unto the LORD of hosts: and all they that sacrifice shall come and take of them, and seethe therein: and in that day there shall be no more the Canaanite in the house of the LORD of hosts.

When the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion: this shall be accomplished when God hath thoroughly cleansed the Jewish nation from their sins. The blood; the blood-guiltiness, and especially that of killing the Lord of life, their own Messiah. 

By the Spirit of judgment, and by the Spirit of burning: this is opposed to the former legal way of purification, which was by water. By the Spirit he seems to understand the Holy Spirit of God, to which this washing and purging work is commonly ascribed, as 1 Corinthians 6:11, and elsewhere; which Spirit did accompany the preaching of the gospel, and did this work in part in some of the Jews, and will do it more fully in the body of the nation. And this Spirit may well be called a Spirit of judgment, because it executes judgment in the church, and in the consciences of men, separating the precious from the vile, convincing men of sin, and righteousness, and judgment, John 16:8-11, manifesting the secrets of men’s hearts in the preaching of the word, (1 Corinthians 14:25(; accusing, and terrifying, and punishing some, witnessing for and with others, and filling them with peace and joy in believing; hardening some, and softening and subduing others to God, as this Spirit is particularly promised to do to the Jews, Zechariah 12:10. And the same Spirit may be fitly called the Spirit of burning, as he is compared to fire, Matthew 3:11, because he doth burn up and consume the dross which is in the church, and in the minds and hearts of men, and inflames the souls of believers with love to God, and zeal for his glory. 

(3) God’s Calming Presence with His People (v5-6)

5 And the LORD will create upon every dwelling place of mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night: for upon all the glory shall be a defence. 6 And there shall be a tabernacle for a shadow in the daytime from the heat, and for a place of refuge, and for a covert from storm and from rain.

The blessing of God dwelling with His people, the calm effect of His presence as Israel experienced when the Tabernacle was constructed and the presence of God filled the encampment.

He will be the protection of His people from every incursion and a refuge from the heat, from the storm and from the rain. 

Here is the complete care of His people upon His people, a picture of the coming Millennium when the earth will be restored.

CONCLUSION

We look forward to that day, and we prepare for that day to meet our Lord. Amen.