THE HAND OF GOD STRETCHED OUT
The substance of two sermons preached at Hedge End Strict Baptist Chapel on Lord's Day 16th September, 2001 being the first Lord's Day after the terrorist attacks in the USA on September 11th.
"For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still" (Isa. 9:12).
With the Lord's help I would draw your attention to these words which were uttered by the prophet Isaiah. They are repeated by him in verses 17 and 21 of this same chapter, and also in verse 4 of the next chapter. Isaiah prophesied in the 8th century before the birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. He tells us quite clearly in the first verse of chapter 1 that he prophesied during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz and Hezekiah, Kings of Judah. He prophesied in the city of Jerusalem and in the Southern Kingdom of Judah. He was contemporary with Micah who also prophesied in the Southern kingdom and with Amos and Hosea who prophesied in the Northern Kingdom of Israel. The burden of his prophecy was that the people of the land of Judah had forsaken the Lord and that they were a people who were ripe for the judgement of God. "What could have been done more to my vineyard, that I have not done in it? wherefore, when I looked that it should bring forth grapes, brought it forth wild grapes? And now go to; I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard: I will take way the hedge thereof, and it shall be eaten up; and break down the wall thereof, and it shall be trodden down: And I will lay it waste..." (chap. 5:4-6). Here we have the indication that God would indeed visit his vineyard with judgement, and that it would be laid waste. Indeed, in chapter 8 the judgement of God is pronounced that he would bring the Assyrians upon the land and the nation would be taken into exile. But even though there is the promise of his judgement upon the nation, there is always the promise of the mercy of God. In the second verse of chapter 9 we have the prophecy of the One who was to come to be the deliverer of his people, "The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light." And again, in verse 6, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace." What a mercy it is that even though God is angry with the wicked every day, there is the promise of a Deliverer, one who is the Redeemer of his election of grace. From verse 8 to the end of verse 11 of the next chapter the voice of God again speaks in judgment and chastisement upon the nation, giving the reasons for that impending judgement. "For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still."
God does still bring his judgments upon nations. God is still the God of the nations. "Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, he taketh up the isles as a very little thing" (chap. 40:15). Now, as we consider the events of Tuesday, 11th September should we not consider that this is the hand of God upon the nations of the world? The question no doubt rises in the hearts of many as to why such a thing should happen. Well, I would like to set before you three reasons why such things do happen in the world today: 1. Because of the wickedness of man. "The heart," says Jeremiah, "is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked" (Jer. 17:9). This tragedy, this act of terrorism is the fruit of the total depravity of man. There is, within certain parts of the Reformed Constituency a desire to re-define the doctrine of the total depravity of man by saying that man is not utterly corrupt, but that his sinfulness merely extends to all areas of his being. Whilst that is undoubtedly true, it is the Scripture doctrine that man is utterly and absolutely corrupt and depraved. Such an action as we have seen in the last few days betrays that this is the case. "Lo, this only have I found, that God man upright; but they have sought out many inventions" (Eccles. 7:29). The Apostle Paul likewise writes of the depravity and corruption of the heart of man in Romans 3: 13-18.
2. Secondly, Because God draws his hand of restraint from the nations. After writing of the perilous times that were and are to come upon the earth in the last days, Paul goes on to tell Timothy that "evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived" (2 Tim. 3:13). As this age passes on to its close before the return of the Lord Jesus Christ, we are told in Scripture that the things of God will decline. "When the Son of Man cometh, will he find faith in the earth?" And the Lord does withdraw his influence in the earth so that the evil that is in men's hearts comes to the fore. There are those who speak of "common grace." They say that the Lord governs the nations by his "common grace" and that individuals, elect and reprobate are all recipients of "the common grace of God." The Scriptures know of no such thing as "common grace." The grace of God is always saving grace. Where the grace of God appears, it always results in the sinner being brought to the feet of Jesus and always causes him to call upon Christ for salvation. "Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off" (Rom 11:22). The goodness of God upon the non-elect is not common grace, but that which brings the severity of God upon them.
3. Thirdly, Because God does bring his judgments upon the earth. The prophets warned the Children of Israel that unless they repented of their sin God would bring his judgment in the form of invading armies upon the nation. This happened to both the Northern Kingdom and also to the Southern Kingdom. The Northern Kingdom never returned from exile. Amos asks the question, "Shall there be evil in a city, and the Lord hath not done it?" (Amos 3:6). And has there not evil come upon the world in these last few days and the Lord has not done it? When London was consumed with fire after the great plague in the 17th century the puritan Thomas Vincent preached to his congregation on the subject "God's Terrible Voice to the City." He drew the lessons to be learned from that awful providence. We should do no less! It is for us to consider our ways, and to learn the spiritual lessons that are to be gleaned in this situation. The Puritans would use the expression "Improvement." What "improvement" can we make of the current situation? "For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still." There are four things from our text that we are to consider:
1. Why is God's anger not turned away?
2. The stretching out of God's hand
3. To whom is God's hand outstretched?
4. For how long is God's hand outstretched?
Firstly, Why is God's anger not turned away?
In this 9th chapter of Isaiah there are a number of reasons given as to why the Lord's anger is not turned away.
Because we do not recognise the voice of the Lord God. Look at verse 8: "The Lord sent a word into Jacob, and it hath a lighted upon Israel." But what is the response to that word that has been sent from the Lord? Verse 10: "The bricks are fallen down, but we will build ... the sycomores are cut down, but we will change them..." You see what Isaiah is saying in these two verses? God has spoken but the response of those who hear is that they will take no notice of that which has been spoken but they will go on in their own way. "We will build ... we will change them." God has spoken in his Son, the Lord Jesus Christ. He is the final revelation of God, and what is the world's response to Christ? "We will not have this man to reign over us." Our Lord Jesus Christ spoke the parable of the householder who leased his vineyard to husbandmen (Matt. 21:33-46). The servants who were sent by the householder were cruelly treated by the husbandmen and when the son was
sent they murdered him, they slew him. And this is what the world considers of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Word of God. Just as he was despised and rejected of men 2000 years ago, so he is despised and rejected today. Because man seeks to live independent of God. God has spoken, but what says man? Verse 10: "We will build ... we will change them." Man in the pride of his heart is saying that although the houses made of brick have fallen down. "We will build bigger and better houses," they say, "but this time they will be built with stone so that none can remove them. The sycomores have been cut down, nevertheless, we will replace them with bigger and better trees. Oh, we have no concern about God and eternal things, we can live independently of God and we will of our own efforts build bigger and better."
But what says the Lord? Scripture is replete with examples of those who lifted themselves up in pride. In Genesis we read how man considered himself wise enough to build a tower that should reach up to heaven itself. But God scattered abroad the peoples of the earth and confounded their language. Nebuchadnezzar walked the palaces of Babylon admiring his great
wealth and his great kingdom. In the pride of his heart he lifted himself on high until he was brought low and acknowledged that the Most High reigneth in the heavens and that his kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, "and all the inhabitants of the earth are reputed as nothing; and he doeth according to his will in the army of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth; and none can stay his hand, or say unto him, What doest thou?" (Dan 4:35).
Again, the Lord told the parable of the Rich Fool (Lk. 12) who sought to live his life independent of God. He said that he had done well. He had much goods laid up in store. He would pull down his barns and build bigger and better. But God said to him "Thou fool!" Man seeks to live independent of God and God's anger is not turned away. Because man has turned away from God. Verse 13, "For this people turneth not unto him that smiteth them, neither do they seek the LORD of Hosts." This is the natural state of mankind. He seeks not after the things of God. He has no desire for God. Paul tells us that "the natural man receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: they are foolishness unto him" (1 Cor 2:14). Again, he says of the Lord Jesus Christ, that to the Jews he is a stumbling block, "and unto the Greeks foolishness" (1 Cor 1:23). And there
is this bias in man that is away from the things of God and towards sin.
Because false religion abounds on every hand. verse 15, "The ancient and honourable, he is the head; and the prophet that teacheth lies, he is the tail." "The prophet that teacheth lies." Oh, how these prophets abound on every hand. Whether it is the Pope in Rome or the false witnesses of Jehovah or the latter-day prophets from Salt Lake City, or any other false prophet.
They all come with their lies and delusions concerning the Lord Jesus Christ and denying that salvation is by grace through faith. But what says the Lord Jesus? "I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh to the Father but by me" (Jno 14:6).
But what says man? Of his own self, without the Spirit's teaching he says that he can save himself by his own efforts, by his own morality, by his own pick-and-mix religion that is so fashionable today. They bring Cain's offering of the fruit of the ground of their own efforts. They have a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof because the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ and his atonement is not the foundation. And they are rejected of God. The false prophets teach lies. Because of ungodly leaders. Verse 16, "For the leaders of this people cause them to err; and they that are led of them are destroyed." Paul tells us in Romans 13:3 that the leaders of a nation are set up of God to promote good works and Peter tells us that the rulers of a nation are for the punishment of evil doers (1 Pet 2:13,14). But when we look at the nations of the world today we find that our leaders promote ungodliness. We just have to consider the legislation that has been passed in our own parliament to see the ungodliness that is being promoted by our national leaders. Because of hypocrisy in the nation. Verse 17, "Therefore the Lord shall have no joy in their young men, neither shall have mercy on their fatherless and widows; for every one is an hypocrite and an evil doer...." "Every one is an hypocrite." Oh, the hypocrisy that is in the nation today. I was bemused by the comment of one of our political leaders in the aftermath of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Centre. He said that the people who had perpetrated this act had no respect for the sanctity of life. But what respect for the sanctity of life have our political leaders had over the years by passing legislation that allows the wholesale slaughter of unborn children in their mother's womb? What respect for life have these people shown? "Every one is an hypocrite." And then Isaiah sums it all up. He gives the reason why "his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still." Because wickedness abounds on every hand. Verse 18, "For wickedness burneth as the fire; it shall devour the briers and the thorns, and shall kindle in the thickets of the forest, and they shall mount up like the lifting up of smoke." The picture given by Isaiah is that of a forest fire that consumes everything in its path. Nothing can withstand it. Wickedness is on every hand. It abounds. Nothing can stand in its way. It consumes everything. And "for all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still."
Secondly, I want us to notice the hand of God stretched out. "But his hand is stretched out still." The context of this chapter demands that the hand of God is stretched out in judgement upon the nation. It is stretched out in judgement upon the nations of the world. But can we not also say that the hand of God is stretched out not only in judgement but also in mercy? This chapter, as I said earlier speaks of the mercy of God, verse 6, "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the
government shall be upon his shoulder." "God is love." And "he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men." No! It is the property of God to have mercy upon his people. Although his hand is stretched out in judgement upon the wicked, his hand is stretched out in mercy to save every one of those for whom Christ died. There is the revelation of mercy.
With mercy and with judgement
My web of time he wove
How, then, do we see the hand of God stretched out in mercy? The hand of God is stretched out to reveal Christ. When Peter and John were released after giving account of themselves before the Sanhedrin, it is recorded in Acts 4 that the church gathered together in prayer. In their prayer the church prayed that they would have boldness to speak the Word of God and that God's hand would be stretched forth to reveal the Lord Jesus Christ. They prayed "And now, Lord, behold their threatenings: and grant unto thy servants, that with all boldness they may speak thy word, by stretching forth thine hand to heal; and that signs and wonders may be done by the name of thy holy child Jesus" (Acts 4:29,30). In this chapter of Isaiah we have the revelation of the Lord Jesus declared: "For unto us a chid is born, unto us a son is given" (verse 6). See the Lord Jesus Christ he is the child that is born here is declared the humanity of the Lord Jesus Christ, truly and fully human, possessed (as the Shorter Catechism states) "of a reasonable soul." But notice also, he is the Son that is given. The eternal sonship of Christ is set forth. That word "given" literally means "ordained" or "brought forth," and Christ as the eternal Son
of God was brought forth as the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.
The hand of God is stretched forth to reveal Christ in his Person. He reveals Christ in his obedience. He reveals Christ in his sufferings and death. He reveals Christ in his resurrection. Then Christ is revealed in the Word of God. "Search the Scriptures," says Christ, "for they are they that testify of me." Christ is revealed in the hearts of all his own people, all those who believe in him. And it is to all these that Christ is revealed in the heart. "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved" (Rom. 10:9). The hand of God is stretched out to redeem his people. The Children of Israel were redeemed out of Egypt by God's han stretched out. ""I am the Lord, and I will bring you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians ... and I will redeem you with a stretched out arm, and with great judgements" (Ex 6:6). God stretched out his hand in judgement upon Egypt in the ten plagues which were visited upon that land. The Children of Israel were redeemed by a mighty hand. And it is no less the case with the election of grace. They are redeemed by a mighty, stretched out hand. He is a mighty Deliverer. Isaiah speaks of the Saviour as one who is "mighty to save" (chap. 63:1). The Lord Jesus is glorious in his apparel. There is greatness in his strength. He is gracious in his speech. And he is grandiose in his salvation. View the One who is "mighty to save." View him in the Garden of Gethsemane praying "not my will, but thine be done;" View him as he stands before Pilate, before whom he witnessed a good confession; View him on Calvary's cross crying with a loud victorious cry, "It is finished;" View him rising from the dead, leading captivity captive. O, the hand of God is stretched to redeem. The hand of God is stretched out to restore. "Therefore thus saith the Lord; I am returned to Jerusalem with mercies; my house shall be built in it, saith the Lord of hosts, and a line shall be stretched forth upon Jerusalem" (Zech 1:16). Again, "And I will restore to you the years that
the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you" (Joel 2:25). O, do we not long for the blessings of God upon us as in former years? Do we not long that the Lord would visit his plantation? That he would revive us again in the midst of the years? We live in a time when the abundance of the Spirit of God is withheld from the church. Wickedness abounds on every hand, and the Lord visits judgement upon the nations. Should we not cry unto him that he would pour out his Spirit as floods upon a dry, thirsty and barren land? That the Lord would revive his work in the midst of the years?
Thirdly, To whom is the Hand of God streched out? Paul writes to the Romans, "But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me. But to Israel he saith, All day long I have streched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people" (chap. 10:24,25). We see that the hand of God is streched out to a chosen people. "To Israel." It is streched out to none other than the Israel of God. I take it that the Israel of God is the church of the living God, the whole of the election of grace. The hand of God is streched out to those who were given to Christ before the world began and "all that the Father giveth me shall come to me, and him that cometh I will in no wise cast out." "And so all Israel shall be saved" (Rom 11:25). There are those who say that the Lord Jesus Christ came to make salvation possible. That is not so! The Lord Jesus Christ is the Saviour. "Thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall
save his people from their sins" (Matt.1:21). The Lord Jesus did not come to put man into a salvable state. He came to save. His hand is streched out to each and every one of his people and he saves them with an everlasting salvation. And,
Glory to God, they ne'er shall rove
Beyond the limits of his love;
Fenced with Jehovah's shalls and wills,
Firm as the everlasting hills.
The appointed time rolls on apace,
Not to propose but call by grace;
To change the heart, renew the will
And turn the feet to Zion's hill
His hand is streched out to a contentious people. "Unto a disobedient people." That is, to a people that know of their disobedience, those who have been brought to see their position of disobedience to the law of God. They who know the curse of a broken law, and rebellion against a holy and righteous God. Says the Lord Jesus, "I am come, not to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance." Who are the righteous? They who, in their own eyes keep the law and know nothing of a felt disobedience within their own heart. Who are the sinners? They who have been taught by the Holy Ghost that they have disobeyed the law of God, they who know the burden of sin. They who feel the misery of their state of rebellion against God. They in whom contention has been brought low and those who are suing for mercy at the throne of grace. Joseph Hart, in his hymn "When Adam by transgression fell" puts it like this:
What comfort can a Saviour bring
To those who never felt their woe?
A sinner is a sacred thing;
The Holy Ghost has made him so.
New life from him we must receive,
Before for sin we rightly grieve.
His hand is streched out to a capricious people. "And gainsaying people." A people who are always moaning. A people who are always bewailing their lot. A people who were never satisfied. The Children of Israel could be described as being like this when they crossed the desert. When they were in Egypt they longed for freedom from bondage and when they crossed the desert they longed for the fleshpots of Egypt. Never satisfied! Often it is the case that when the hand of God is upon his people they are never satisfied with his dealings with them. O, how we should long to be in the same spirit as the Apostle Paul: "For I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content" (Phil 4:11 ). Ann Steele, after she learned that her fiancé had been drowned wrote:
Father, whate'er of earthly bliss
They sovereign will denies,
Accepted at thy throne of grace,
Let this petition rise:
Give me a calm, a thankful heart,
From every murmur free;
The blessings of thy grace impart,
And make me live to thee.
Let the sweet hope that thou art mine,
My life and death attend;
Thy presence through my journey shine,
And crown my journey's end.
God grant that we may posses the same spirit.
Finally, For how long is the hand of God streched out? Isaiah tells us that it is stretched out "STILL." There have been those who have been foolish enough to try and set a date for the Lord's return. To do such a thing is the height of folly, and contrary to Scripture. The Scripture tells us that the hand of God is stretched out "still." "Still" it is the day of God's grace. "Still" it is the day of God's mercy. We do not know when that day will come to an end. For a hundred and twenty years
Noah was a preacher of righteousness. For one hundred and twenty years he warned the people of the judgements of God. For one hundred and twenty years he was mocked and scoffed at by the unbelieving people. But there came a day when the ark was completed. There came a day when the Lord said to Noah, "Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation" (Gen 7:1). There came a day when the door was closed and they were shut in by God. "Behold, now is the day of salvation." But there is a day coming when the day of God's grace will be over. God grant that it will not be said of my hearers, "The harvest is past, the summer is ended, and we are not saved" (Jer 8:20). "For all this his anger is not turned away, but his hand is stretched out still."