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Well, friends, as we hear the Word of God this morning, we continue our study and consideration
of the book of the prophet Isaiah, and my sermon text this morning is we’re skipping
ahead to Isaiah chapter 24, verses 1 through 13, and you’ll find that passage beginning
on page 694 in your pew Bibles.
That’s Isaiah 24, verses 1 through 13.
This is God’s Word, let us hear it with reverence and awe.
Behold, the Lord will empty the earth and make it desolate, and He will twist its surface
and scatter its inhabitants.
And it shall be as with the people, so with the priest, as with the slave, so with his
master, as with the maid, so with her mistress, as with the buyer, so with the seller, as
with the lender, so with the borrower, as with the creditor, so with the debtor.
The earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered, for the Lord has spoken this word.
The earth mourns and withers, the world languishes and withers.
The highest people of the earth languish.
The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants, for they have transgressed the laws, violated
the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant.
Therefore a curse devours the earth, and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt.
Therefore the inhabitants of the earth are scorched, and few men are left.
The wine mourns, the vine languishes, all the merry-hearted sigh.
The mirth of the tambourines is stilled.
The noise of the jubilant has ceased.
The mirth of the liar is stilled.
No more do they drink wine with singing.
Strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.
The wasted city is broken down.
Every house is shut up so that none can enter.
There is an outcry in the streets for lack of wine.
All joy has grown dark.
The gladness of the earth is banished.
Desolation is left in the city.
The gates are battered into ruins, for thus it shall be in the midst of the earth among
the nations, as when an olive tree is beaten, as at the gleaning when the grape harvest
is done.
Dear ones, the grass withers and the flower fades, but the word of our God endures forever.
Let’s pray for the Lord to bless the preaching of his word.
Sovereign Lord, gracious Heavenly Father, we thank you that you have revealed yourself
in the Holy Scriptures.
We thank you for your word, for it is a lamp unto our feet, a light unto our path.
We pray that by your spirit you would guide us this morning as we consider this portion
of your word.
We pray that by your spirit your word would find a lodging place in our souls and would
bear much spiritual fruit in our lives.
And once again, Lord, we ask that you would set a guard over my lips, that I might speak
only that which is faithful in your sight.
We pray these things, Heavenly Father, in Jesus’ name, and all of God’s people said, Amen.
You may be seated.
The title of my sermon this morning is The Broken Covenant, The Desolate Earth.
And if you’re following along in your sermon outlines, and there are copies of the sermon
outline on the foyer, there’s five key words to be listening for today.
I’d encourage the children to keep track of the number of times I say these words.
And the words are judgment, earth, covenant, curse, and remnant.
Well, dear friends, let me ask you a question.
Do you enjoy stargazing?
Do you enjoy going out in the dark night sky and seeing the multitudes of stars that our
awesome creator has placed in the sky?
Well, if you enjoy that activity, then you know that it is against the backdrop of a
dark, clear night sky that the stars of heaven appear to shine the brightest.
And of course, few things can ruin a night of stargazing more than a canopy of thick
clouds or the light pollution of bright city lights.
Speaking of stargazing, one of the most memorable experiences from my youth was when my grandparents
took me and my brother on a summer trip out west to visit some distant relatives, but
also to see the Rocky Mountains.
My grandparents loved to travel.
They traveled internationally to many nations, and my grandfather meticulously documented
those trips and oftentimes would show us slideshows from their trips around the world.
They also enjoyed traveling around the country, and so they wanted to share that joy of travel
with my brother and me as they took us out west to see the Rocky Mountains.
And this was a trip that was filled to the brim with memorable moments, like the time
when we stopped along the side of the road to see some bison in the wild, and from a
safe distance, of course.
But probably one of the most memorable moments of this most memorable trip was one evening
when we were outside on a clear, windy night.
It was a bit cool outside, and I believe we were in Montana, but we were gathered around
the fire on a high elevation.
And while I did not know the Lord Jesus as my Savior at that time, the beautiful scenery,
the howling wind, and especially the starry night sky filled me with a powerful sense
of awe at this amazing display of our Creator’s power, majesty, and greatness.
As a young person, it was as if this awesome sight, the beauty of God’s creation, especially
the beauty of the heavens.
I can resonate with that passage that says, the heavens declare the glory of God.
The firmament shows forth His handiwork.
It was as if God was saying, Jeff, you can’t escape me.
I’m here.
You better deal with that reality.
Well, beloved, again, the stars shine brightly against the backdrop of the dark night sky.
Similarly, on a spiritual level, the amazing grace that is revealed in the gospel of our
Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, shines the brightest against the dark backdrop of God’s
righteous and holy wrath against our sin.
And what is so amazing about God’s amazing grace in Jesus, His Son, is that God, our
loving Father, gives His grace freely to rebel sinners, rebel sinners like me and like you.
Sinners who deserve not the bright light of God’s grace and mercy and forgiveness, but
who deserve the outer darkness of God’s righteous and holy judgment and wrath against their
sin.
And yet many today don’t seem to grasp that or understand that.
Beloved, I am convinced that one of the reasons why so many today do not understand or accept
or appreciate the glorious light and truth of Christ’s gospel is that they have not
understood or they have not come to grips with the darkness of their own sinful hearts
and the dark truth that they deserve God’s righteous judgment and wrath because of their
sin and rebellion against the Lord.
Only against the backdrop of the bad news of our sin and of God’s holy judgment against
our sin will the good news of Christ’s saving work to redeem sinners be seen as the glorious,
bright, hope-filled message that it in fact is.
This is why passages like the one that we are considering today are so important in
setting the foundation for understanding and appreciating the dazzling glory of the good
news of Jesus.
We read passages like this and we think this is kind of depressing.
These judgment oracles seem so depressing, so dark, and yet the Holy Spirit inspired
Isaiah, carried him along to record this judgment oracle ultimately for the purpose
of laying the foundation for the gracious good news that would be revealed in the promised
Messiah Jesus of Nazareth, our Lord and Savior.
Now our passage for this morning begins a section of Isaiah that goes through the end
of chapter 27 and Bible scholars typically called Isaiah chapter 24 through 27.
They often refer to it as the Isaiah apocalypse and the reason that they use that terminology
is because the language here and the imagery in this section of Isaiah resemble apocalyptic
literature, the literary genre of apocalyptic, which you’ll find that kind of apocalyptic
language for example in the book of Daniel, Ezekiel, and especially in the New Testament
in the book of Revelation.
And so thus begins in this chapter, in this passage, the Isaiah apocalypse.
This section of Isaiah is cosmic and universal in its scope.
You see in the previous chapters of Isaiah, in chapters 13 through 23, if you read through
those chapters you will notice that in those chapters what Isaiah records are judgment
oracles that predicted local historical judgments that Yahweh the Lord would bring against particular
nations and particular peoples at a particular time.
These were nations and peoples that existed in Isaiah’s time and the prophecies in view
are of a more immediate fulfillment, a more immediate fulfillment is in view.
But in contrast to these previous chapters, in chapters 13 through 23, in this apocalypse
section which begins here in chapter 24, the prophet turns from the local to the universal
and cosmic.
He turns from historical near-term judgments of God to the eschatological final judgment
that is yet to come in these last days.
In our passage for this morning, the prophet paints for us a dark picture, a picture of
utter desolation and joyless gloom for the inhabitants of the earth who have broken what
is described in verse 5 as the everlasting covenant.
But even in this dark judgment oracle, there’s some bright light that shines through.
You see this passage, which is so dark in its judgment theme, records the fact that
a remnant will be preserved just as a few olives are left on the olive tree that is
beaten and just as a few grapes remain when the grape harvest is done as it says in verse
13, for thus it shall be in the midst of the earth among the nations as when an olive tree
is beaten as at the gleaning when the grape harvest is done.
So as we draw our attention to the opening verses of this chapter, we first are confronted
with a picture of universal cosmic judgment.
This is the first point in your sermon outline.
We have here a picture of universal cosmic judgment.
And this passage begins with the word behold.
Children, what does the word behold mean?
The word behold is basically, if we were to translate that into contemporary lingo, that
would be like saying, listen up, pay attention, take heed.
This is really important, so you need to pay attention.
And what does Isaiah say, or what does the Holy Spirit through Isaiah say?
Behold the Lord, notice the word Lord, it’s in all capital letters, that’s English translators
there are indicating that this is a translation of the Hebrew word Yahweh, which is God’s
covenantal name, that name which views the Lord as the covenant redeemer of his people.
Behold Yahweh the Lord, what will he do?
He will empty the earth and make it desolate and he will twist its surface and scatter
its inhabitants.
This is a judgment against what is described as the earth.
Now I would point out to you brothers and sisters that the word earth here, the Hebrew
word that is translated here in the English standard version as earth, it’s the word erets.
And this is a word that can be translated either as earth or as land, depending upon
the context in which it is used.
So that raises the question, is Isaiah here referring to some local particular land, like
the land of Israel, when he uses this term erets, or is he referring to erets in the
sense of the whole earth, earth in general, earth as a whole?
In order to answer that question, we have to look at the wider context of this passage.
And given the wider context of this passage, it would seem clearly to indicate that Isaiah
is depicting the earth and its inhabitants as a whole.
He’s not merely speaking of the land of Israel or some other local limited location.
And just as an example of the broader context, if you skip down, for example, to verses 14
through 16, notice what he says there, it says, they lift up their voices, they sing
for joy over the majesty of the Lord, they shout from the west who are the they.
Well, then it goes on to say, therefore, in the east, give glory to the Lord in the coastlands
of the sea, give glory to the name of the Lord, the God of Israel, the coastlands of
the sea, that is probably a reference to peoples who live beyond the borders of Israel.
So again, we have more of a universal scope in view.
And then verse 16, from the ends of the earth, we hear songs of praise to the glory of the
righteous one and so forth.
And then if you skip down to verse 21, it says, on that day, the Lord will punish the
host of heaven in heaven and the kings, plural, the kings of the earth on the earth.
We have this contrast between the heavens and the earth.
And usually in the scriptures, when you have this contrast between the heavens and the
earth, the earth that is being referred to is the earth as a whole and not just the land
of Israel.
So again, this is a passage that is clearly universal and cosmic in its scope.
And what is the Lord going to do to the earth?
It says he’s going to empty it and make it desolate.
He will twist its surface.
One Bible translation uses the word buckle.
The surface of the earth will buckle and scatter its inhabitants.
What is the Lord going to do?
He’s going to desolate the land and scatter, desolate the earth rather, and scatter its
inhabitants.
Now, the Hebrew word used here for scatter is the same term that is translated as dispersed
in Genesis 11 verses 4, 8, and 9.
Do you remember what Genesis 11 speaks to?
What it’s talking about?
It’s talking about God’s judgment at the Tower of Babel when he dispersed the inhabitants
of the earth in judgment because they were uniting together in their rebellion against
the Lord, in their autonomous rebellion against God.
And the Lord comes down and he confuses their language and in judgment scatters them over
the face of the earth.
This points to the fact that in the final judgment, Yahweh the Lord will send a greater
judgment, a judgment that involves a greater scattering of earth’s inhabitants than he
had sent upon the world in the days of the Tower of Babel.
And furthermore, the language and imagery of verse 1 of God twisting the surface of
the earth and also comparing that to verse 3 which speaks of the earth being utterly
empty and utterly plundered, this kind of language may suggest a reversal of God’s
original work of creation as recorded in Genesis chapter 1 verse 2.
You Bible scholars, what does that speak of in Genesis chapter 1 verse 2, remember?
It says the spirit of God hovered over the face of the waters and brought order out of
the original chaos of creation.
And so in the original work of creation as recorded in Genesis 1 verse 2, God’s spirit
sovereignly brought order over the original form and void and darkness of creation.
And if this is the imagery that is in Isaiah’s thinking as he records this, if this is what’s
in the backdrop here of what Isaiah is saying, then what that means is that the final judgment
will mean a decreation, a descent into disordered chaos in the case of the unrepentant wicked.
In brief, my friends, we learn here in verse 1 that the surface of the earth is pictured
as being twisted and left desolate and the inhabitants are scattered and judged.
Yahweh will unsettle the earth, he will uproot and scatter the wicked and he will leave behind
a desolated earth, a desolated earth that will only be renewed when Christ ushers in
the new heavens and the new earth wherein righteousness dwells.
So that’s a pretty dark picture.
And then it goes on in verse 2 to say this, and it shall be as with the people, so with
the priest, as with the slave, so with the master, as with the maid, so with her mistress,
as with the buyer, so with the seller, as with the lender, so with the borrower, as
with the creditor, so with the debtor.
We have these contrasts being made here between different social classes, different levels
of society.
And the point of this verse is that the judgment, the final judgment will impact all levels
and all social classes within society.
The rich and the poor, the free and the slave, the creditor and the debtor, all will be judged
and none will escape.
Indeed, social status and high standing in society will not be able to protect anyone
from the Lord’s wrath and judgment on that final day.
The only thing that can protect us from the final judgment is the blood and righteousness
of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
And then in verse 3, it says, the earth shall be utterly empty and utterly plundered.
And how do we know this to be the case?
Well, it says, for the Lord has spoken this word.
In other words, this is not Isaiah’s fevered imagination speaking here.
This is not the word of man.
This is the word of the Lord.
And so it is trustworthy, it is reliable, it is certain to happen.
Verse 3 reinforces the point that was made in verse 1.
And the certainty of this worldwide final judgment is reinforced and confirmed by the
words, for the Lord has spoken his word.
Children, does God keep his word?
Sometimes people break their word, they break their promises, and they don’t carry through
on their threats.
But does the Lord keep his word?
Absolutely.
When he makes promises, he doesn’t make a promise with his fingers crossed behind his
back.
He’s not deceitful.
He keeps his word.
He is reliable.
He is trustworthy.
So the word of the Lord is confirmed here in this passage.
Friends, this passage does indeed paint a very dark picture for those who do not know
the Lord.
It is a picture of inescapable and desolating judgment.
In a time when many simply do not take seriously the holiness and the righteous judgment of
our great and awesome God against sin, may we take these truths to heart.
And may the Lord be pleased to work within us a heart of true faith and true repentance.
But then after these introductory verses, we move on to the next section of this passage.
In verses 4 through 9, we notice in this passage, earth defiled, the everlasting covenant broken,
and the peoples consumed by the curse.
Earth defiled, the everlasting covenant broken, and the peoples consumed by the curse.
In verse 4, it says this, the earth mourns and withers.
The world languishes and withers.
The highest people of the earth languish.
The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants and so forth.
The highest of the earth languish.
The proud are humbled and brought down.
This reminds us of what our Savior taught about the nature and character of God’s kingdom.
God’s kingdom, His kingdom of grace and salvation as proclaimed by the Lord Jesus Christ is
sometimes described as the upside down kingdom.
It is the kingdom where the first shall be last, where the proud shall be humbled and
the humbled shall be exalted.
We are reminded of this kingdom dynamic here in verse 4, where it talks about the world
languishing and withering and the highest people of the earth languishing by implication
being humbled.
And then we come to what is probably the central thrust of this passage in verses 5 through
6.
It says this, the earth lies defiled.
Why is the earth defiled?
Why is the world defiled, morally defiled before in the eyes of the Lord?
The earth lies defiled under its inhabitants.
Why?
For they have transgressed the laws, violated the statutes, broken the everlasting covenant.
Therefore a curse devours the earth and its inhabitants suffer for their guilt and so
forth.
Now this raises the question.
Isaiah speaks of the breaking of the everlasting covenant.
What covenant is he referring to in verse 5?
What is the identity of this everlasting covenant?
And here the biblical scholars have some differing views on how to understand this covenant.
Many scholars believe that this everlasting covenant is a reference to the Noahic covenant.
In other words, God’s covenant with the earth after the judgment flood in Noah’s time.
You remember children what the sign of that covenant was?
It’s the rainbow, right?
Whenever you see a rainbow in the sky, what are you supposed to be reminded of?
You’re supposed to be reminded of the fact that God promises never again to destroy the
natural order, to flood the earth.
While this present age remains in perpetuity, God will maintain the different seasons and
will keep the earth stable so that life can continue on until Jesus returns in glory.
And so some scholars view this everlasting covenant as the Noahic covenant since in that
covenant God promised never again to flood the earth and he promised to maintain the
natural order in perpetuity.
However, there’s a problem with this view in my opinion.
The problem with this view is that the Noahic covenant was an unconditional covenant of
common grace, meaning that it was a covenant that had no conditions attached to it.
If there are no conditions to the covenant, how can you break the covenant?
Indeed it was a covenant that God made not only with human beings, but with the animal
kingdom as well.
Let’s go back and look at the stipulations or rather the description of this covenant
back in Genesis 9 verses 9 through 16.
It says this,
Then God said to Noah and to his sons with him, Behold, I establish my covenant with
you and your offspring spring after you.
And then notice verse 10.
And with every living creature that is with you, the birds, the livestock, and every beast
of the earth with you, as many as came out of the ark, it is for every beast of the earth,
I establish my covenant with you that never again shall all flesh be cut off by the waters
of the flood and never again shall there be a flood to destroy the earth.
Those who hold to the Noahic covenant understanding of the everlasting covenant of our passage
for today would point to this and say, see, it’s everlasting.
Never again will God do it.
Verse 12.
And God said, this is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living
creature that is with you.
For all future generations, I have set my bow in the cloud and it shall be a sign of
the covenant between me and the earth.
When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, I will remember
my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh and the
water shall never again become a flood to destroy all flesh and so forth.
So you see, this covenant was made, this covenant of Noah was made with mankind and with all
the creatures of the earth.
So here’s the question.
If it’s possible for human beings to break this covenant of Noah, well then obviously
isn’t it also possible for lizards and porcupines to break the covenant and sharks to break
the covenant?
No, my friends.
So I think that we can dismiss the Noahic covenant view of this everlasting covenant.
So if it’s not referring to the Noahic covenant, what covenant is Isaiah referring to?
Now he uses language that is typically used of the Mosaic covenant.
He uses the language of laws, of statutes and the language of covenant and oftentimes
in the Mosaic covenant, in the Torah, that’s the kind of language that is used to describe
the Mosaic covenant.
But since this is a prophecy that is universal in its scope, it is probably not referring
to the Sinai covenant.
What then is it referring to?
Well beloved, here the spirit of God through Isaiah seems to be referring to what we in
Reformed theology would call the covenant of life or the covenant of works.
That is to say, the original covenantal arrangement that God made with humanity in Adam.
All mankind, not just Gentiles but Jews as well, all mankind has broken this everlasting
covenant in Adam.
So this is in what sense all human beings have broken the covenant.
We see Paul reflecting upon this, for example, in Romans chapter 2.
Let me just read Romans 2 verses 12 through 16 where he’s addressing the Jews in particular
after speaking of the Gentiles back in chapter 1 who suppressed the truth and unrighteousness,
Gentile pagans.
He then addresses the Jews who have access to the oracles of God and he brings up the
matter of what about the Gentiles who don’t have the law, the Torah.
It says this, Romans 2 beginning of verse 12, for all who have sinned without the law
will also perish without the law and all who have sinned under the law will be judged by
the law for it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God but the doers
of the law who will be justified.
In the covenant of works, in the covenant of life, it is do this and you shall live.
For when Gentiles who do not have the law by nature do what the law requires, they
are a law to themselves even though they do not have the law.
They show that the work of the law is written on their hearts while their conscience also
bears witness and their conflicting thoughts accuse or even excuse them on that day when
according to my gospel God judges the secrets of men by Christ Jesus.
The covenant of works in Adam is well described by our Shorter Catechism.
If you want to follow along in your Trinity Salter hymnal I invite you to turn to Shorter
Catechism number 16, Shorter Catechism number 16 which is found on page 969 back of your
Salter hymnal.
It asks this question, did all mankind fall in Adam’s first transgression?
The covenant being made with Adam not only for himself but for his posterity, all mankind
descending from him by ordinary generations sinned in him and fell with him in his first
transgression.
And so this is, if this is the covenant that is being referred to in this passage from
Isaiah, this is the everlasting covenant, this covenant in Adam which we have broken.
And then if you skip down to question 18 it asks wherein consists the sinfulness of that
estate where into man fell?
The sinfulness of that estate where into man fell consists in the guilt of Adam’s first
sin, the want or lack of original righteousness and the corruption of his whole nature which
is commonly called original sin together with all actual transgressions which proceed from
it.
All mankind outside of Christ, all human beings outside of Christ are guilty.
We receive a sin nature from Adam, we are accounted guilty and we choose to live in
accordance with that sin nature barring the intervention of God’s grace.
And what does that lead to?
Question 19 says what is the misery of that estate where into man fell?
The Bible based answer is all mankind by their fall lost communion with God or under his
wrath and curse and so made liable to all the miseries of this life to death itself
and to the pains of hell forever.
So again while Isaiah uses the language of the mosaic covenant, laws, statutes, covenant
and so forth, this covenantal language is being used to implicate all of humanity, not
just the Jews.
For in Adam all people apart from Christ, all people except for Christ I should say,
have broken the creation covenant of life.
That’s the dark backdrop that we need to understand if we’re going to appreciate the glorious
truth of the good news of Jesus.
And then it goes on to say this in verses 7 and following.
It says the wine mourns, the vine languishes, all the merry hearted sigh, the mirth of the
tambourines is stilled, the noise of the jubilant has ceased, the mirth of the liar is stilled.
No more do they drink wine with singing.
Strong drink is bitter to those who drink it.
When the final judgment comes in other words and when God comes in judgment against all
of humanity, all festivities and merriment among the unsaved will cease and universal
mourning will commence.
After all, God’s inescapable judgment will have come.
What reason then could there be to rejoice?
Beloved, the dark message of this passage is the bad news that in Adam, our covenant
head and representative and by our own free choice, we have all sinned and fallen short
of the glory of God.
And as Romans 6.23 tells us, what is the wages of sin?
The wages of sin is death, not just physical death, but spiritual death and ultimately
eternal death and the everlasting punishment of hell for those who die apart from Christ.
But the bright light of the good news is that Christ has kept the everlasting covenant.
He has kept the covenant of works for all who would trust in him and him alone for salvation.
So my friend, are you trusting in Christ as your covenant keeper?
We’re all covenant breakers, not one of us is a covenant keeper.
We have all broken the covenant in Adam and apart from grace, we continue to break that
covenant.
But Christ is our covenant keeper.
He not only died to pay the penalty on the cross, not only did he die to atone for the
sins of those of us who are covenant breakers, he also earned a perfect righteousness for
us.
And when you put your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus Christ for your salvation, not
only are your sins forgiven, not only is your record of sin washed clean by the blood
of Christ who atoned for your sin on the cross of Calvary, but his perfect everlasting righteousness
is credited to you, imputed to you as you receive him by faith and faith alone.
Have you trusted him?
Have you received and rested upon Christ and Christ alone for your righteousness, for your
salvation?
But finally, as we wrap up our time in the Word today and consider this closing section
of our passage, we see the city of man wasted, but a remnant preserved.
The city of man wasted, but a remnant preserved.
Verse 10, we read this, the wasted city, some translations say the desolated city, the desolate
city is broken down.
Every house is shut up so that none can enter.
There is an outcry in the streets for lack of wine.
All joy has grown dark.
The gladness of the earth is banished.
Desolation is left in the city.
The gates are battered into ruins.
For thus it shall be in the midst of the earth among the nations.
This is not just a local city.
This is a city that encompasses the nations as when an olive tree is beaten, as at the
gleaning when the grape harvest is done.
So which city is Isaiah referring to when he speaks of this wasted city?
In previous chapters, he has spoken of specific nations and specific cities, including the
city of Jerusalem, which also deserved God’s righteous judgment.
But what particular city is he speaking of here?
Is he speaking of Jerusalem or Babylon?
Well the answer is he’s probably not speaking of any particular city, either ancient or
modern, but rather he is referring to what the theologians would call the city of man.
In other words, that universal meta-city that represents humanity is consolidated together
in its rebellion against the creator God and against his chosen anointed king, the Messiah,
our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
In the words of one commentator, it is probably a composite of all the cities opposed to God,
such as Babylon, Tyre, Jerusalem, and Rome.
This rebellious city of man will ultimately be defeated fully and finally when our Lord
Jesus returns in glory at the end of this age and when he presides over the final judgment
to which this passage points.
But notice again that as a conclusion to this dark judgment oracle, a glimmer of hope, a
glimmer of hope that gets brighter as we move on in Isaiah.
This glimmer of hope is given, the indication that God in his grace would preserve a remnant.
And God always does preserve an elect remnant in his sovereign grace as it says in verse
13, for thus it shall be in the midst of the earth among the nations as when an olive tree
is beaten, as at the gleaning when the grape harvest is done.
In his wrath, he remembers mercy and by his sovereign grace, he preserves for himself
an elect believing remnant.
Dear listener, let me close by asking you this question.
Which city do you belong to?
Do you belong to the city of man, the city that seeks to be autonomous from the true
and living God, the city that rejects the lordship of Christ?
Do you belong to the city of man, man in rebellion against God, or do you belong to the city
of God?
Which meta city, if you will, do you belong to?
The pseudo meta city of the city of man or the true meta city, the city of God, consisting
of all those who are redeemed by the blood of the lamb and who place their faith and
trust in the Lord Jesus Christ alone for salvation.
May God in his mercy grant that we be part of that heavenly Zion, the true city of God.
May we forsake the city of man which is under God’s judgment and may we join ranks with
the city of God through faith in Christ and repentance unto life.
Amen.
Let us pray.
Father, we thank you that you speak truth, sometimes in blunt tones in the scriptures.
You give us these difficult and challenging and dark oracles of judgment, but you do so
out of love and mercy.
For Lord, it is only against the dark backdrop of our sin and your wrath against our sin
that we see our need for Christ, the light of the world, and it is only against that
backdrop that we can see the hope, the brightness of the hope of the glory of God in the face
of Jesus Christ.
And so, heavenly Father, help us, Lord, to take these truths to heart and help us, Lord,
to walk in the light of Christ, our Savior, for it is in his name that we pray.
And all of God’s people said, amen.
Let’s close our time today by rising and we’ll sing together number 459.
My hope is built on nothing less, 459.