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Isaiah 61:8-11; 62:2-4

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Isaiah 61:8-11; 62:2-4 SUNDAY SCHOOL Lesson 4 April 26, 2020 WHAT GOES AROUND COMES AROUND Bible Background: Isaiah 61:1-8; 62:12 Lesson Text: Isaiah 61:8-11; 62:2-4 UNIFYING TOPIC: THE LORD LOVE JUSTICE LESSON TEXT: 1. A REASON TO REJOICE (ISAIAH 61:8-11) 2. GOD DELIGHTS IN YOU (ISAIAH 62:2-4) THE MAIN THOUGHT: For I the Lord love judgment, I have robbery for burnt offering and I will direct their work in truth, and I will make an everlasting covenant with them.. (ISAIAH 61:8). LESSON AIM: To show that evil will ultimate destroy itself. It will reveal its true face and he exposed for what it is. LESSON AIM: To show that God requires us to practice justice toward each other. Isaiah 61:8-11 8“For I, the LORD, love justice; I hate robbery and wrongdoing. In my faithfulness I will reward my people and make an everlasting covenant with them. 9 Their descendants will be known among the nations and their offspring among the peoples. All who see them will acknowledge that they are a people the LORD has blessed.” 10 I delight greatly in the LORD; my soul rejoices in my God,For he has clothed me with garments of salvation and arrayed me in a robe of his righteousness, as a bridegroom adorns his head like a priest, and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels. 11 For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign LORD will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations. Isaiah 6:2-4 2The nations will see your vindication, and all kings your glory; you will be called by a new name that the mouth of the LORD will bestow. 3 You will be a crown of splendor in the LORD’s hand, a royal diadem in the hand of your God. 4 No longer will they call you Deserted, or name your land Desolate. But you will be called Hephzibah,[a] and your land Beulah[b]; for the LORD will take delight in you, and your land will be married. Scriptures for Isaiah 61:8-11 Justice, peace, and security will rule in the Messiah’s kingdom (v.8a). Society will be free of criminals, and there will be no lawlessness. An unbelievable transformation! Nevertheless, this is the wonderful promise of the LORD given to His people. “Through the tender mercy of our God; whereby the dayspring from on high hath visited us, To give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide our feet into the way of peace” (Lu.1:78-79). “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost” (Ro.14:17). 1. The Messiah will establish an everlasting covenant with the people (v.8b). When Jesus Christ came to earth the first time, He established a new, eternal relationship with God. In the Messiah’s kingdom, God’s people will be filled with the Holy Spirit and the Word of God. His laws and commandments will be written on their hearts. “And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance. For where a testament is, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth. Whereupon neither the first testament was dedicated without blood” (Heb. 9:15-18). “And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me” (Je.32:40). 1. God’s people will be honored before the world (v.9). All the world will acknowledge God’s blessings to Israel, which was one of the promises given to Abraham (see outline—•Ge.12:1-3 and notes—•Ge.12:1-3 for more discussion). Because of their righteous lives, all believers bear opposition from the world, ranging from minor ridicule over to brutality and martyrdom. But in the day of the Messiah’s kingdom, all people will acknowledge God’s blessings upon His people. “If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour” (Jn.12:26). “To him that overcometh will I grant to sit with me in my throne, even as I also overcame, and am set down with my Father in his throne” (Re.3:21). 1. The coming kingdom of the Messiah will bring great joy and rejoicing (vv.10-11). In these two verses, all the citizens of Zion are seen praising God for two reasons: because the LORD had clothed them in salvation and righteousness because the LORD causes the seed of righteousness and praise to spring up⇒ in all the nations of the world (v.11) ⇒ When a person comes to the Messiah for salvation, God clothes him in the righteousness of Christ. Bringing the joy of righteousness and salvation to the earth was the very purpose for the Savior’s coming. “And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe [of righteousness], and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry: For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry” (Lu.15:21-24). (Isaiah 62:1-12) Assurance: God gave the wonderful assurance of salvation through the coming Savior. With all the oppression, suffering, war, death, and evil in the world, believers often have a yearning for Christ to return. They long for God’s kingdom on earth. This yearning has been in the hearts of believers for centuries, yet Christ has not returned (2 Pe.3:3-10). God’s kingdom has not yet come to earth. The prediction that the Jews will experience a great revival, that many will turn to the Lord Jesus has not happened. Neither has Jerusalem become the Holy City of God, a city that is truly righteous. Due to the promises still unfulfilled and all the wickedness and corruption in the world, there are always some believers who need to be reassured. Every human being experiences the need for assurance at some point in time. Even believers need to know that God is truly going to fulfill His promises of salvation. In these verses God gives to Jewish and Gentile believers four wonderful assurances of salvation. 1. Salvation is assured because of God’s Word (vv.1-5). Down through the centuries, God worked through the Jews to bring salvation to the world. And He will continue to work out His salvation for the world. Under no circumstances will He hold His peace or keep silent. Four reasons are given why the salvation of the world must be brought to completion. 2. The righteousness and salvation of Jerusalem must shine forth like the dawn or like a blazing torch (vv.1-2). Of course, this is a reference to the Messiah’s presence and rule being centered in Jerusalem. The glory of His righteousness and salvation must be honored by the nations. For this reason, the city will be given a new name, which means it will undergo a complete change. 3. The Holy City of Jerusalem will become the valuable possession of the LORD (v.3). It will be like a crown, a royal diadem held in the hand of God Himself. 4. The Holy City will no longer be called Deserted or Desolate, not in the day of the Messiah’s kingdom. It will be renamed Hephzibah, which means my delight is in her (v.4). Moreover, the land of Judah will be renamed Beulah, which means married one. God will look upon the promised land as belonging to Him, a land and a people whom He would never cast away. 5. The Holy City will be repossessed by believers (v.5). And the LORD will rejoice over Jerusalem like a bridegroom rejoices over His bride. God has determined that the Messiah will return to set up God’s kingdom on earth. The seat of government will be Jerusalem, which will be established as the capital of the world. From there the righteousness and glory of God will shine forth throughout the whole world. When God’s kingdom has been brought to the world, salvation will be completed. This wonderful promise is assured, guaranteed by God’s Word. 2. Salvation is also assured because of the watchmen’s proclamation (v.6). Who are the watchmen? In ancient history they were men who were assigned the task of guarding the city from a surprise attack. In the present passage, watchmen refer to both prophets and righteous believers. All righteous believers are to be watchmen, prayer warriors. True believers are to cry out day and night to the LORD, never being silent and never giving themselves rest.
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