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• Driving to Western MD or other Mountainous area – it’s beautiful scenery any season (fall leaves / winter snow & ice-sickles / spring blossom / summer fullness)
• Standing atop mt you can look at the distance traveled, deep valleys, and future destination
• However, if you’re climbing in the middle of the trail all you see is woods, step on rocks, feel sweat from your hike yet freezing temps. – – – > Reaching the top seems like too long of a journey bc you’re in the middle of a journey with every step as an obstacle.  
• The OT is compared to climbing a mountain of hoping to reach a summit. The people of Israel have traveled a long and hard journey. They are uncertain if reaching the peak is possible. However, from time to time, the Prophets help us to step back and look not just in the present but backward and forward to reflect on the entire scope of what God is doing. The Prophets reveal God’s prophetic promises to reach down from heaven to pick us up and bring His people to where they need to go.
• Today we start our Advent season with Isaiah the prophet.

There are 12 Prophets in the Bible, and Isaiah is one of the major and majestic of all the prophets. Chuck Swindoll says[1], “What Michael Angelo is among the artists, what Beethoven is among the musical composers, what Lincoln is among the presidents, what Spurgeon is among the preachers, what Lombardi and Wooden are among coaches, Isaiah is among the prophets.”

“What Michael Angelo is among the artists, what Beethoven is among the musical composers, what Lincoln is among the presidents, what Spurgeon is among the preachers, what Lombardi and Wooden are among coaches, Isaiah is among the prophets.” – Charles Swindoll

Isaiah’s name means Yahweh [The Lord] is salvation. His book is like a miniature Bible.

• Bible has 66 books           Isaiah has 66 chapters
• Bible 39 OT & 27 NT                   Isaiah 1-39 is law & judgment, 40-66 is grace and deliverance
• Bible is Christocentric       Isaiah prophecies of Christ’s birth, life, death, and resurrection
• Isaiah’s ministry widespread of God’s global judgment, pertaining to Judah and Jerusalem (28-29) yet surrounding them as well in Babylon (13:1), Philistia (14:28), Moab (15:1), Damascus (17:1), Cush/Sudan (18:1), Egypt (19:1), Wilderness of the sea (21:1), Arabia (21:13), Tyre (23:1), and the entire earth (24:1).
  • Jesus’ ministry is widespread from Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria, and ends of earth.

During Advent, our readings will be from Isaiah and sermons will focus on Isa53.

EXAMINE           Faith From The Ground (Isa 53:1-2)

¹ Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? ² For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. ³ He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. ⁴ Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. ⁵ But he was pierced for our transgressions; he was crushed for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace, and with his wounds we are healed. ⁶ All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all. ⁷ He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is silent, so he opened not his mouth. ⁸ By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? ⁹ And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. ¹⁰ Yet it was the will of the Lord to crush him; he has put him to grief; when his soul makes an offering for guilt, he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days; the will of the Lord shall prosper in his hand. ¹¹ Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. ¹² Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

¹ Who has believed what he has heard from us? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

• Isaiah’s prophetic ministry was lengthy covering a period of 4 kings
  • Uzziah was mostly faithful to God;
• • Jotham the son of Uzziah was faithful
• • Ahaz son of Jotham was evil with idols & child sacrifice;
  • Hezekiah son of Ahaz helping Judah navigate Assyrian invasion and trusting God but making foolish alliances with Babylon who’d ultimately conquer Israel; and his selfish preservation.
    
• Overall, Isaiah’s ministry was among the affluent as he served the nation; which was a difficult ministry to those who were w/o lack yet apathetic to the needs of the poor (Isa 1:17; 3:14-15, etc.), and prideful assumption not needing God. Israel would be like a tree chopped down, but God would raise up a branch from the stump – a remnant for coming kingdom of God (Isa 11).
  
• In later chapters of Isa – God references a “Chosen Servant” who will restore Israel as a light to the nations (42:1-3) and faithfully restore justice. Yet, God repeated says He will not share His glory, and He is Israel’s only Savior. Thus, implying this chosen servant must be uniquely from the LORD. Isaiah includes 4 “Servant Songs” that describe him to be God’s witness and representative (cf Isa 42:1-9; 49:1-13; 50:4-11; 52:13-53:12).
  
• The 4 Servant Songs contrast Israel with the Messiah
  • Not “empty wind” (41:29) vs Spirit-filled (42:1)
    – – > Jesus’ ministry led by the Spirit (cf Mt 3:16; 12:18-21)
  
  
• • Generationally cursed (48:19) vs chosen in the womb (49:1; 5)
    – – > Jesus’ genealogy indicates a chosen lineage (cf Mt 1)
  
  
• • Disobedient to God’s commands (48:18) vs faithful teacher of God’s words (50:4)
    – – > Jesus fulfills God’s laws (cf Mt 5:17)
  
  
  • Deserving devastation, famine, and destruction w/o comfort (51:19) vs a servant who will bear grief, carry sorrows, be pierced for transgression, crushed for iniquity, and by his wounds heal… (Isa 53)
    – – > Jesus is the substitutionary sacrificial lamb (Jn 1:29; Ac 8:34; 1Pet 2:22-25)

So, Isaiah’s message is that there is a coming Chosen Servant of the LORD who will be filled with God’s Spirit, breaking the curse of sin, faithfully teach God’s commands, and become our sin-bearer to make us free from guilt.

Isaiah describes this work as “the arm of the Lord;”  in other words, He’s personally involved. Earlier in the book Isaiah describes the arm of the LORD drying up the sea to make a way for Israel to escape Egyptian slavery and redeem His people (51:9-10). Additionally, Isaiah depicts the LORD as baring his holy arm to save His people – it’s as if God is rolling up His sleeves for action!

Ilus: When have you seen someone roll up their sleeves?

• When the person knows hard work is involved.
• When circumstances require extra strength
• When someone cares enough to offer help

Kevin McKeehan and his wife Amanda had four sons and a daughter. Their youngest son suffers from muscular dystrophy. Their daughter and a son are actually twins adopted at birth. And they have two other sons. Sadly, their oldest son died from an overdose in 2020. Then, later that same year, Kevin’s sister also died from untold causes. The family was devastated.

As we all know, 2020 was a year of darkness and one we wish we all could forget. Yet, Kevin was a believer and did what he only knew to do: read the Psalms and Scriptures. He sought for a lifeline of hope and God gave him Psalm 98:1-2. One version translates the passage:

“Sing to God a new song. For God has created a world of wonders. God has rolled up His sleeves and His sacred and strong arms have made things right – He reveals salvation to the whole world!”

Kevin read these words and thought the imagery of God rolling up His sleeves was personally for him. He writes:

“It may be midnight or mid-day, Never early, never late, God’s gonna stand by what He claims, I’ve lived enough to say ‘Help is on the way.. Sometimes it’s days; sometimes it’s years of falling tears, But God is in the darkness; He’s in the cold; He always shows… I’ve seen my shares of troubles but the Lord ain’t failed me yet. So, I’m holding on to the promise that the Lord is rolling up His sleeves again. – Help is on the way.”[2]

Isaiah depicts the LORD as baring his holy arm to save His people – it’s a reminder that God rolls up His sleeves for personal involvement in our salvation. #Isaiah51:9-10 #Isaiah 53:1 #Psalm98:1-2 #HelpIsOnTheWay #MaybeMidnight

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Who has believed ?      > God is still work in your life.
The question presupposes no one is believing the report of good news. That’s why earlier Isaiah says, “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of Him who brings good news, who publishes peace, who brings good news of joy, who publish salvation” (52:7).

Some of you are unbelieving of salvation and uncertain of good news. You’ve been let down. You’re hurt. You’re grieving. And you’re wondering if God has given up. But Isaiah is reminding us today that God’s arms are wrapped around us.

When Joseph & Mary received news, they were going to parent the Messiah, they were shocked. Joseph felt betrayed. He wondered why God would allow hurtful news in what should have been a hopeful moment. The same for Mary – why her? How was she going to prove to Jospeh that she was loyal? Yet, both Joseph & Mary only did what they knew: God was faithful in the past and can be trusted for the future. And eventually, God’s fingers squeezed their face and His arms wrapped their neck to remind them they were not alone.

Today / this Advent season / remember God reveals Himself in small and surprising ways…

² For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or majesty that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him.

Isaiah describes the Servant as^[3] distinct from the LORD (before him), with natural [human] growth like a young plant, and a traceable ordinary human ancestry (of dry ground). Further, he’s unimpressive without majesty.

And this is the surprising nature of Jesus Christ. Most religious leaders present NOT

• as young plant roots crushed underfoot but as imposing oak trees
  • Isaiah calls him a tree stump bearing fruit (11:1)
    
• with ordinary ancestry with scoundrels and wayward prodigals but with gravitas & celebrity

Jesus relinquished the marvelousness and magnificence of heaven for the mundane of being born with the smell of sheep and raised with the calloused hands of a carpenter.

Jesus was shamed as having an illegitimate father and shunned for claiming to be the Son of God.  

Why does this matter?

BC the aim of humanity is often to make ourselves appear as something better than we are.

We strive to be exceptional, noteworthy, significant to others and central to everywhere we go. However, the miracle of Christmas and the incarnation is that Jesus became nothing, so that we can have everything. God showing up in a manger and a life without majesty in appearance means that we don’t have to earn acceptance or produce accomplishments for God to love us.  

*Glory that gloats is obnoxious and dreadful

• Showboat athletes… we secretly wish they get injured
• Winning dynasty teams… we root for underdogs
• Inordinately wealthy billionaires who waste money and not altruistic are pariah   

*Glory that is concealed is beautiful

• A mother’s quiet sacrifices for her husband and children
• A godly step-father who works hard and loves children as if his own
• A caregiver’s patient attitude and humble service

Glory that gloats is dreadful. Glory that is concealed and revealed in hidden ways is beautiful. #Incarnation

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Likewise, God chose to hide glory through the incarnation but then reveal it through the resurrection; but not before suffering and death.

• Jn 20:27 Jesus said to Thomas, “Put your finger here, and see my hands; and put out your hands and place it in my side. Do not disbelieve, but believe.”
• 1Cor 1:18 “The message of the cross is foolishness to the world, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
• Heb 4:15 “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet w/o sin.”

> What unpleasant places or imperfections of your life are you trying to hide?
God wants you to let them tell a story of how grace and faith arise from the ground.  

  – like a hidden seed that over time with the right nurture will bloom and bear fruit

APPLY/TAKEAWAY

Jesus came to His own, but His own received Him not (Jn 1:12).

People missed/missing Jesus! And today we have hundreds of prophecies with 66 books… / preachers & churches / the lights are on for a little longer

– – –  So, the question not just for ancient Israel but us today:

Will you believe the good news?

Will you step out of darkness into the rescuing light and redeeming love of Christ?

The question is not just for angels or apostles but ambassadors today: Will you promote the good news?

All of us should examine dry ground in our life that is overlooked, underworked, or infected with impurities – and ask God to resurrect something new for His glory.

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[1] Charles Swindoll, God’s Masterwork Volume Three: Poets, Prophets and Promises – A Survey of Job – Daniel, “Isaiah: Prince Among The Prophets”.

[2] Toby Mac, “Help Is On The Way”

^[3] J. Alec Motyer, Isaiah: An Introduction and Commentary, vol. 20, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), 376–377.