Sermon, 2015-03-01, Redeemed to Be His Witnesses 1 A few months ago our dishwasher died. Around Black Friday I found a good sale at Lowes and got one. They wanted $125 to install it, so, my son and I set to putting it in. First time, though. Now, when it comes to putting things together, I am NOT the kind of guy who says “who needs instructions?” I say, “better to read the instructions first, than to have to fix what you do wrong later.” I unpacked the box and found some schematic service kind of paper work attached to the front, but I couldn’t find any installation instructions. It was okay though cause we have Google these days and I easily found clear instructions on the internet. So we got it all installed fine, but when we went to close it, it rocked back in the cabinet. And then when you opened it, it pulled forward. I tried all I could to set the feet. I knew the old one had brackets that screwed into the bottom of the counter, but this one didn’t have any of those. So I worked for an hour and a half trying to make my own little bracket to get it to stay in place, but it wouldn’t work. It was 5:30 and we were having company at 6:00, so I decided to give up for now. And so I opened the dishwasher to throw in the couple parts that I’d need to finish it later, pulled out the top rack, and guess what I found? There, in the top rack, I found the pack of installation instructions and the small metal clips I needed to attach it to the counter top. Now my point is not to say that I’m really an idiot. And my point is not to say that I think the person who said “let’s put the instructions inside the dishwasher, rather than just inside the box where everyone will find them easily’ ... is an idiot. My thot is that ... sometimes you find instructions in unexpected places. Sometimes you find instruction in life . for certain things in places you wouldn’t expect. As I was reading in Isaiah 43 recently, I came across something and I thot: now there’s a strange place to find that instruction. And I remembered my dishwasher.

Let me show you what I mean. This is Isaiah. He’s an OT prophet who is writing about 700 years BC. Last week I said 6th century BC; but it’s a little more than 700 years BC. Sermon, 2015-03-01, Redeemed to Be His Witnesses 2 Isaiah 43:1-12 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. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. 3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush[a] and Seba in your stead. 4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life. 5 Do not be afraid, for I am with you; I will bring your children from the east and gather you from the west. 6 I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Do not hold them back.’ Bring my sons from afar and my daughters from the ends of the earth— 7 everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.” 8 Lead out those who have eyes but are blind, who have ears but are deaf. 9 All the nations gather together and the peoples assemble. Which of their gods foretold this and proclaimed to us the former things? Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right, so that others may hear and say, “It is true.” 10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he. Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me. 11 I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior. 12 I have revealed and saved and proclaimed— I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God. Sermon, 2015-03-01, Redeemed to Be His Witnesses 3 So, do you see the unexpected instruction? The instruction here that’s in an unexpected place?

God told the Israelites that they are his witnesses. v. 10 You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, v. 12 You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord,

If you are a Christ follower, you have probably heard that Jesus told his first disciples right before he ascended into heaven: Acts 1:8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” Jesus said go be my witnesses. And Peter and Paul and the early church all adopted that word. They are recorded saying it many times in the NT: We are witnesses of what Jesus did. We are witnesses ... you crucified him but God raised him from the dead!

It is an idea that is central to Christianity. We are to be his witnesses. We are to tell people who Jesus is and what he did. We are to make disciples of all nations, by witnessing.

But, it is totally unexpected to find this word, this idea, this action, in the OT. This is not what Israel was called to do ... or so I thought. The Israelites were not called to be God’s witnesses anywhere else in the OT ... except here.

I think what we have here in Isaiah 43 are the seeds, the foreshadowing, the precedent for what would be an integral part of Jesus’ mission. So, I think we have here a part of the gospel in the OT concealed that in the NT would be revealed.

Title slide We are talking about the Songs of the Servant. We started last week. If you missed it, I invite you to check out the 1st message on our website. In Isaiah, chapters 40-55 there is a recurring theme of a servant. Sometimes, this servant is an individual. He is the Servant of the Lord who will come one day & do wonderful things. This is understood to be the Messiah by the Jews. And the NT writers show over and over how Jesus was this Servant. Sermon, 2015-03-01, Redeemed to Be His Witnesses 4 But other times here in Isaiah, this servant is Israel, as in this passage today. God calls Israel his servant. It’s singular, but it refers to the Israelite people collectively. Isaiah 43:10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen,

So, considering that Jesus has called us, his followers, to be his witnesses to the world; and that this call to be witnesses in Isaiah is very likely the precedent for that, the forerunner or foundation for that; I want to know: What does this passage tell us about being a witness for God? 2x.

What is a witness? A witness is someone who comes to a courtroom to give testimony. That’s how God uses it here. He’s saying, let’s call all the nations together and see who is really God. All the people with other gods, you be their witnesses. All my people, you be my witnesses. Sometimes, witnesses are people who see something – I saw it. Sometimes witnesses are people who experienced something – I was there. What’s interesting though, is that in this passage the original Hebrew word that Isaiah wrote, suggests a more precise idea. It’s the Hebrew word ad (pronounced aid). Ad comes from Hebrew ud. Ad is the noun. Ud is the verb. Here’s the thing: Ud means repeat, say again, proclaim, testify. Ud has nothing to do with seeing something. Ud has nothing to do with experiencing something, really. Ud is about saying again, repeating, confirming, testifying.

So, this witnessing that God calls his people to do is NOT about being a person who sees something. It’s about being a person who says something. 2x.

I never liked the word witnessing for telling people about my faith in Jesus. It sounded like bad grammar to me. Sorry.

But now I feel the word fits! God wants us to be his witnesses. To bear witness. He wants us to give testimony. He wants us to tell people something. Sermon, 2015-03-01, Redeemed to Be His Witnesses 5

Which leads to the question: what? What are we to say about God? What does he want us to say? Proclaim? Repeat? Testify? So you could find many things in the OT & N that we could say about God. And, I’m sure almost all of it could be in a way his witnesses. It’s giving testimony about who God is or what is has done.

But, we should ask this passage, this prophecy from God thru Isaiah: What are we to say about God? What does God say in this passage that he wants us to give testimony to?

After study, prayer, and reflection, I think there are four clear things, in this passage, that God wants us to say, proclaim, affirm, bear witness to.

We are witnesses who say ... 1. There is one true God.

That’s the essence of part of what God is saying here to bear witness to. Isaiah 43:9, 12 All the nations gather together and the peoples assemble. Which of their gods foretold this and proclaimed to us the former things? Let them bring in their witnesses to prove they were right, so that others may hear and say, “It is true.”... I have revealed and saved and proclaimed— I, and not some foreign god among you. You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “that I am God.

See what he’s saying there? Bring in the other nations. Have them bear witness to what there gods have prophecied about. Did it come true? No, because I’m the only true God.

I have revealed and saved and proclaimed, he says. I revealed things to prophets. I proclaimed ahead of time, how I would save you. Then I did it. I saved. They came true!

I said the Israelites would go into captivity in Egypt for 400 years and then I would save them. I revealed it to someone. They proclaimed it to all. I saved you.

I told Abraham I would give you and your descendants this land as an inheritance. I revealed it. I proclaimed it. And it came true! Sermon, 2015-03-01, Redeemed to Be His Witnesses 6 I alone am able to prophecy the future. No other god can do that. No other god prophesied something in the past – the former things, and then they came true. And the amazing thing that I realized as I studied this passage that I was never clear on before is that this passage is a prophecy of God’s deliverance to Judah that would not happen until a 100 years later. Isaiah lived and prophesied around 740-700 BC. In the year 606, the Jewish people are conquered by Babylon. They are taken from there land into captivity for 70 years. That’s where Daniel and Ezekiel live.

Listen to the very next verse after this passage on who is God. Isaiah 43:14 This is what the Lord says— your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “For your sake I will send to Babylon and bring down as fugitives all the Babylonians, in the ships in which they took pride.

I will call to the east and bring your children home. I will gather them from the west. I will deliver you! I am your redeemer! Who can prophesy and things come true???

In this book, there is much more about how the Israelites would be conquered by the Babylonians. He even names the king Cyrus who will set them free from Babylon.

He is the only true God! Who else has done this?

He also says here, Isaiah 43:10 Before me no god was formed, nor will there be one after me.

No gods were made before me. None were made after me. He’s saying, I am the only God.

12 of the 26 Hebrew words in verses 11-13 here are 1st person singular. You know what that means? Monotheism. I reveal, I proclaim, I save. I act and none can undo. I, I, I!! I alone am God. Sermon, 2015-03-01, Redeemed to Be His Witnesses 7 He says, “bear witness to that!!” That’s our testimony. He is the one true God.

We are witnesses who say ... 2. He is the only Savior. Isaiah 43:11 I, even I, am the Lord, and apart from me there is no savior.”

He calls us to be witnesses to the fact that “apart from me there is no savior.” That’s a lot of the case he builds in the first part of this.

Isaiah 43:1-3 “Do not fear, for I have redeemed you; I have summoned you by name; you are mine. 2 When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. 3 For I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior; I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead.

When the floods come or when fire comes, I will save you. When the rivers rage with spring rains, but you have to cross, They will not sweep over you.

And clearly it’s not just about fire and rain, it’s about all of life’s catastrophes and challenges. And, this is not about him preventing those things He says, I will be with you. I am the Lord your God, the Holy One, your Savior.

He didn’t redeem us to enjoy life’s pleasures and ease. He redeemed us to prepare us to endure life’s challenges and evil.

If you are going through one of those times, remember 1 Peter 1:6-7 In all this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.

He says here in verse 4. Sermon, 2015-03-01, Redeemed to Be His Witnesses 8 I give Egypt for your ransom, Cush and Seba in your stead. Cush and Seba were a part of Egypt further up the Nile. They all mean Egypt.

Remember what he did in Egypt? Pharaoh refused to let his people go, until he took the first born sons.

I will give people in exchange for you. I will even substitute others for you. When I save, I will give one so you can be redeemed. I will redeem you with the life of another.

Hundreds of years before it happened in Christ. He is the Savior. The only Savior.

Jesus said, John 14:6 Jesus answered, “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.

He says testify to that!! That’s our testimony. He is the only savior.

A couple more shorter ones. Then, in this passage we could say We are witnesses who say ... 3. He loves us.

Isaiah 43:4 Since you are precious and honored in my sight, and because I love you, I will give people in exchange for you, nations in exchange for your life.

We are precious and honored in his sight. He loves us. These are words of deep affection.

And notice they say nothing of our ability to be worthy of them. They are not about what we do or who we are. They are about who He is and what He has for us.

We are not precious in ourselves. But we are precious to him. We are not honorable in our selves. Sermon, 2015-03-01, Redeemed to Be His Witnesses 9 But we are honored in his sight. We are not lovable or worthy of his love. But he saves us, because He loves us.

We are witnesses that John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

That is our testimony!

Last one. We are witnesses who say ... 4. He wants us to know, believe, and understand Him.

Isaiah 43:10 “You are my witnesses,” declares the Lord, “and my servant whom I have chosen, so that you may know and believe me and understand that I am he.

John Calvin said that this series, this know, believe, and understand, was a description of the progression of coming to faith in Christ.

1. First, we know of Him or about Him. 2. Then we believe in Him. 3. Then we come to understand Him, who He really is, his character, will, and word.

And it turns out that some scholars of Hebrew poetry today say that synonymous parallelism, a & b & c, in Hebrew poetry frequently employs a developing quality in the series.

God wants his people to bear witness to who He is. That He is the one true God And that he is the only Savior And that he loves us deeply, because he wants people to know Him, so they can come to believe in Him, so that they can understand his ways.

That’s what Jesus called us to do.

Last point, in a way to sum it up. If you were to sum up Isaiah 43, verses 1-7, they would be about: We are redeemed. If you were to sum up Isaiah 43, verses 8-13, Sermon, 2015-03-01, Redeemed to Be His Witnesses 10 they would be about: We are God’s witnesses. So, this passage essentially says, We are redeemed to be God’s witnesses. Say it with me! We are redeemed to be God’s witnesses! 2x. He saved us. He gave his son for us. Jesus Christ died for us and rose again. And he calls us to be his witnesses so others would come to know, understand, and believe in Him.

We are redeemed to be God’s witnesses. This is our testimony: 1. There is one true God. 2. He is our only Savior. 3. He loves us. 4. He wants us to know Him, believe in Him, and understand Him.

We are redeemed to be God’s witnesses. This is our testimony. It can be no less than that. It can be none other than that.