The Redeemer Shall Come

The opening verse of this chapter is for saints who feel forgotten and unnoticed. Hold on in hope to God’s promises even when the Lord seems far away. Persevere in prayer even when His responses seem delayed. The Lord loves us, His people, and whether we see immediate evidence for it or not, He is actively caring for His little flock. Be sure, His ‘hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; neither his ear heavy, that it cannot hear’.

When the Lord tarries

There is no lack of power in God to do what He has said. Our Lord is a prayer-hearing and prayer-answering God. There is wisdom in God’s scheduling and there is goodness in His method even if we cannot see the reason now. ‘Behold’ is a call for special attention. Do not doubt! Do not be discouraged! Patience and endurance will be honoured by the Lord when His timing is right and the end of His purpose is fulfilled.

I never knew you

There will always be false professors in the Christian church, men and women who try to claim the promises of mercy and grace while denying the way and means of grace. It is these who have no reconciliation with God and who are separated from Him by sin. There are false preachers who corrupt the doctrine of Christ and whose hands are defiled with blood because they speak lies to men’s souls. This has been the case in every age; it is perhaps more widely prevalent today than ever before.

What Isaiah foresaw

The religion of our age is aptly described in this chapter. Today’s Christianity, so called, is religion without a need for righteousness and faith without a need for truth. Every man does what is right in his own eyes with little concern for the objective truth of the gospel. By their doctrine it appears that few really know the Christ of scripture. The poison of snakes courses in their veins and rests upon their lips. They weave webs of lies which are too thin to provide a covering for sin or supply a righteousness sufficient for heaven.

The enemies of Christ

False religion opposes the true gospel and is quick to attack and suppress faith in Christ wherever it can. The followers of false religion know no peace with God now, despite what they claim, and they will have none from Him in eternity. Their approach to God is crooked and perverse. They come to Him according to their own wisdom, by their own works, through their own righteousness, but it will not do. They oppose and oppress Christ’s gospel as many freewill, and works-righteousness churches do today.

The effect of false religion

Verse 9 changes from ‘they’ to ‘us’ and perhaps speaks of the felt consequences of this opposition and the struggles of the Lord’s people who seem to cry in vain to the Saviour for deliverance. Judah cried out under bondage in Babylon for seventy years and God’s people cry out for deliverance from the corrupt Babylon-religion of our day. We wait for light but we walk in darkness, such is the wickedness of the time in which we live. Justice is withheld and truth, having fallen in the street, is denied.

A man fit to intercede

For the Lord’s own reasons He yet waits to deliver His true church from these attacks. However, the hurt of His people does not go unnoticed. The Lord is displeased with His enemies and ours and ‘wonders’ that there is no intercessor to defend His people. This does not imply surprise on God’s part but displays to the church that there was no other fit person to deliver us. In the absence of a worthy man amongst men the Lord Himself takes our nature and becomes our Saviour. The righteousness of the Godman shall justify His elect .

Christ’s illustrative armour

The Lord putting on righteousness as a breastplate suggests that purity and holiness were next to Christ’s heart throughout His incarnation. Salvation worn as a helmet implies the eternal wellbeing of the elect was Christ’s chief and topmost purpose in coming into this world. He brought vengeance that divides between men for time and eternity, He shows zeal for the love of His Bride and fury against the works of her tormentors.

Promises pending

Our Lord Jesus Christ is the Redeemer that has come to Zion. In Christ’s first coming we see redemption prophecies fulfilled. Now we await His future coming when He will redeem His church to glory. These are promises yet pending. These promises are covenant promises. In verse 21 we see and hear Jehovah declare His everlasting purpose to save His people from their sins and gather His church to glory. The Son and His seed will not be forgotten.

Amen