4th Sunday after Pentecost, 2010

Rev. Brian L. Kachelmeier

 

Isaiah 65:1-9

 

In the name of Jesus. Amen.

 

There are sixty-six chapters in the book of Isaiah. Throughout the book, Isaiah preaches repentance and forgiveness to the people of God. He exposes there false worship and calls them to faith in the One True God. He foretells their destruction which is a glimpse of the Final Judgment of all people. He reassures them of their restoration which is a glimpse of the consummation of the Kingdom of God at the end of time. He promises them the coming of the Messiah who will bring even the Gentiles into this Kingdom.

 

In chapter sixty-three and sixty-four, Isaiah petitions the LORD. Isaiah anchors his prayer in faith that the LORD our God is One who acts for those who wait for Him. He requests that the LORD would “look down from heaven and see.” He cries out saying, “Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down that the mountains may quake at your presence.” Isaiah confesses the sins of the people including himself by saying, “We have all become like on unclean.” “No one calls upon your name.” Yet, the prophet petitions the LORD not to remember iniquity forever. 

 

Isaiah prays trusting that the LORD will hear his plea. He calls God “our Father.” We are the clay and He is the potter. We are the works of His hands. Isaiah closes his prayer with this question, “Will you keep silent, and afflict us so terribly?”

 

In chapter sixty-five, the LORD responds to the praying prophet. The LORD declares, "I was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for me; I was ready to be found by those who did not seek me. I said, “Here am I, here am I,” to a nation that was not called by my name. I spread out my hands all the day to a rebellious people, who walk in a way that is not good, following their own devices;" (Isaiah 65:1-2, ESV) The LORD was not silent. In fact, He called, but the people did not answer. He spoke and the people did not listen.

 

In this passage, we learn about the grace, mercy, compassion and steadfast love of the LORD. In the acts of judgment it seemed like the LORD was no where to be found. Yet, He desired to be found in the place promised to be found. He sent the prophets to speak to His people. Although they kept looking in other places than at the Temple and where He spoke, the LORD still sought His people. He was ready to be sought by those who did not ask for Him and He was ready to be found by those who did not seek Him. 

 

Here we learn about the grace of God. God’s favor is not influenced by human achievement. The emphasis is placed upon the action of God in seeking out His people.   Their actions were centered on their own ways and their own devices. They were not seeking after God. In His word He promises, “Here am I, here am I.” That word was placed in their ears. By God’s undeserved favor, He reveals Himself in His word.  This is the means that God has chosen to seek after us. As the song goes, they were “looking for love in all the wrong places.”

 

I was just talking to a man the other day who was telling me about this wonderful treasure he had found at Harbor Freight for an amazing price. It was a tube bender that could reshape a variety of sizes of pipes. He had been looking for a tube bender for quit some time. However, after he bought the tube bender forget about it. Then some time later, he was back at Harbor Freight and found an amazing treasure. It was a tube bender. He had been looking for one for quit some time. He brought it home and later realized that he now owned two tube benders. He forgot about the treasure that he already had.

 

They Israelites forgot the treasure that they already had in God’s word. They were constantly looking for God in the wrong places. They were set on following their own devices and their own chosen ways to worship God. They sought after God on their own terms. This is a critic against man made religion. As the people turned their backs on God, He continued to seek after them. They were walking in their own ways, yet the LORD sent the prophets after them. They were a rebellious people yet He spread out His hands toward them. 

 

Here we have a picture of the fatherly love of God. As His children continue to rebel and grab for something else to believe in, their Heavenly Father continues to spread out His hands toward them. Just like a father and a small child learning how to walk. The father extends his hand for the child to grab a hold of and steady herself. His hand guides her. His hand picks her up when she falls. His hand comforts her when she cries. We know that earthly fathers are a wonderful gift from God. How much more wonderful is it to know that we have a Heavenly Father who reaches out His loving hand toward us so that we will learn to fold our hands in prayer to Him trusting that He hears our pleas as His children.

 

In the New Testament scriptures, the Apostle Paul quotes the words from Isaiah chapter sixty-five in His letter to the Romans. In Romans chapter ten, the Apostle opens by declaring that the Jews who rejected the Christ had a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. They were ignorant of the righteousness of God and sought after their own righteousness. After teaching that faith comes from hearing the word of God, he closes the chapter with our Old Testament text. The Gentiles who did not seek after God were found by God. The Apostles were sent to all nations, so that even the Gentiles who were not called by His name would be given His name in Holy Baptism. We are God’s people solely by God’s grace alone through faith alone in Christ Jesus alone.

 

In Isaiah’s day, the people of God were embracing innovative and creative ways to worship God. They were eating pig’s flesh that was forbidden to them. They were offering sacrifices all over the place. Yet, their burnt offerings were not a pleasing aroma to God; rather they were just smoke in His nostrils. It wasn’t like the wonderful smell of a barbeque; it was like the irritating smoke of a forest fire. They did all of this right before God’s face as if they were in the right. They boasted saying, “Keep to yourself do not come near me, for I am too holy for you.” Thus the LORD declared to them,"Behold, it is written before me: “I will not keep silent, but I will repay; I will indeed repay into their bosom both your iniquities and your fathers’ iniquities together, says the Lord…” (Isaiah 65:6-7, ESV)

To say that it is written is to say that the sin will not be forgotten. To say that God will not keep silent is to say that He will not ignore the sin. To say that God will repay is to say that punishment will be served. These are harsh words of law that are designed to lead to repentance.

In Paul’s day, the people of God rejected the righteousness that comes from God. Thus, the original branches of the olive tree were broken off because of unbelief allowing wild branches to be grafted in. Eventually, those who remain in a state of forsaking God will be forsaken. God forsook the Jews who rejected His promises and in their place He adopted the Gentiles who were unaware of the promises.

 

As God’s people, we are called to heed the warning of Isaiah the prophet and Paul the apostle. We must be careful that we do not fall into unbelief and become broken off. We must be careful that we do not boast in our own holiness thinking I am too holy for you.

 

There is only One who is Holy as we sing in the liturgy to Jesus saying, “For You alone are holy; You only are the Lord.” He came down to see and He acted just as Isaiah had requested. It is in Jesus, the God says, “Here I am. Here I am.” His death on the cross is the only sacrifice that atones for all of our sins even the iniquities of the fathers. Everything else is just smoke. He is God’s way. He is the righteousness that comes from God.

 

In Jesus our sins are no longer written before God. Our deeds have been erased and our names have been written in the Lamb’s book of life. In Jesus, God keeps silent regarding our sins for they are not counted against us. In Jesus, we are not repaid for our sins. Rather, Jesus paid our debt and we stand forgiven. As children of our Heavenly Father, we continue to learn to answer as He calls and we continue to learn to listen when He speaks. Through the power of the gospel, the Holy Spirit continues to work in our hearts so that we cry out, “Abba, Father.” Amen.