Introduction
We have been reading through the Book of Isaiah for the past week or so. Isaiah is one of the most well-known prophets in the Bible for his prediction of the coming of the Messiah, who would redeem his people from their sins. This book contrasts the disturbing warnings of judgement and destruction with uplifting promises of hope and prosperity. There is some much we can learn from this book, especially in relation to the coming hope of the Messiah. The name Isaiah means “salvation of the Lord,” which is befitting for this Messianic prophet. His wife is also known as a prophetess (Isa 8:3).
Isaiah begins by the Lord speaking to the people - “Come now, let us reason together,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red as crimson, they shall be like wool. 19 If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the best from the land; 20 but if you resist and rebel, you will be devoured by the sword.” For the mouth of the Lord has spoken (Isa 1:18-20). It is the desire of the Lord to have a reasonable conversation with his people and to bring them back to obedience. Isaiah is called by God in a very dramatic way. In Isa 6, he describes the vision of God seated in the temple, surrounded by six angels, worshipping God and saying, “Holy, Holy, Holy.” Isaiah is overwhelmed by his sinfulness: “Woe to me!” I cried. “I am ruined! For I am a man of unclean lips, and I live among a people of unclean lips, and my eyes have seen the King, the Lord Almighty.” 6 Then one of the seraphs flew to me with a live coal in his hand, which he had taken with tongs from the altar. 7 With it he touched my mouth and said, “See, this has touched your lips; your guilt is taken away and your sin atoned for.” 8 Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?” And I said, “Here am I. Send me!” 9 He said, “Go and tell this people… (Isa 6:5-9). Isaiah calls on God’s people to renounce their idols, warning them of coming destruction if they do not obey. This sets the stage for the rest of the book and the ongoing challenge that Isaiah faces. A people that hear and see but are unrepentant. And yet it is still in the heart of the Lord to offer hope to the hopeless.
God’s faithfulness is seen in Isa 11:1-2 where the prophet speaks of the promised Messiah. Even though judgment and destruction are coming, Isaiah does not leave Israel without hope and now he describes Christ as the shoot that will sprout from the destroyed stump of Israel, who will guide the nation with his wisdom: “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him— the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord— 3 and he will delight in the fear of the Lord” (Isa 11:1-3a). Later on in chapters 52 and 53 Isaiah refers to the Messiah as the “suffering servant,” who will be punished to atone for our sins: “Surely he took up our infirmities and carried our sorrows, yet we considered him stricken by God, smitten by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all” (Isa 53:4-6).
Ultimately, the Messiah brings restoration to God’s people, freeing them from their chains as seen in Isa 61:1 – “The Spirit of the Sovereign Lord is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners…” Don’t forget a new heaven and earth.
What the story of Isaiah means for us
The main thought that I want to expand on is this. There is Hope for the Hopeless. Hopeless days are common in our world today. I don’t mean to be a pessimist, but to give an honest observation. The same kinds of things that lead to hopeless days for people like you and me were experienced by the people of God in Isaiah’s day. However, the prophet Isaiah played an important role in God’s plan; he prophesied about the Messiah’s coming and brought hope to God’s people during a challenging time. Even though God’s people would be held captive by the sins and the Nation of Assyria, Isaiah placed hope into their hearts. And this promise of hope is not only for the nation of Israel, but also for all of us. In the book of Isaiah, we see how God works for the good of his children and is sovereign in the worst of circumstances. Not only that, but he also is a just God, who will give the evildoers in the world their pay. Though we are sinful and deserve to be punished, God has provided salvation for us through Jesus Christ, who suffered on our behalf and freed us from our sins. Grace and mercy and peace are ours in Jesus Christ. In Jesus, we have hope for eternity.
What are some keys to seeing hope restored?
I want to share a couple of word pictures before I share a few insights in having our hope renewed. Picture with me a dark bedroom late at night. You can’t see anything but then your eyes adjust to a faint glow of the nightlight. Light makes all the difference. The nightlight grow dimmer when morning dawns and we open the curtains. Another picture is that of a train going through a tunnel. At first the world blackens out and you only see your immediate surroundings. Outside it is pitch black except for the occasional passing light. Then we begin to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Light and sight are foundational to having one’s hope restored. Here is a key verse to consider in light of today’s message. Hebrews 12:1-3 – “Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2 Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3 Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.”
We have a company of saints, past and present, that are cheering us on. The saints of the past looked forward to the coming of the Messiah; their faith saw into the future. We can learn from their examples, good and bad, with regards to overcoming. This is hopeful news for those in the midst of challenges. There are also those believers who are with us today who engage their faith and are exhorting us on in our trust towards God.
Let us throw off everything that hinders… In other words, we are to stop, lay aside, put off – intentionally – everything that weighs us down. Are you aware of anything that is sucking the hope out of you? Get rid of it. This is not an issue of sin necessarily, but anything that causes hopelessness.
Let us throw off the sin that so easily entangles… In essence, to sin means to miss the mark of God’s Law and Will. We are to intentionally stop sinning, stop missing the mark of God’s holiness and righteousness. As followers of Jesus we have been given grace, mercy and peace. In other words, we no longer have to struggle with sin when we come to trust in Jesus. However, we live in a world where sin abounds, therefore we must stay away from anything that can tangle or trip us up. This is a key practice to restoring hope to one’s life.
Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us… One foot after another, in the same direction, is what wins a race. Christianity is that race. It is step after step obedience and perseverance in the race set before us. Sometimes we lose hope by faltering on the way. Sometimes we become faint in the journey of Christianity. This is where we need our hope restored. How is this possible?
Let us fix our eyes upon Jesus.. Jesus has already completed the race. He came from heaven to earth to die on the cross and return to heaven. It is finished. Jesus is the author and perfecter of our faith. Trust in him. Rest in him. Hope in him when life seems hopeless. This is like turning on the light in the middle of the night. Jesus will show us the way.
Jesus is ultimately the focus, not the cloud of witnesses, not our brothers and sisters in the faith. We are to focus our attention on Jesus with the idea that he is running the race right beside us and yet waits for us at the finish line. Running the race is not easy. Jesus himself had to endure the cross and its shame. However, he did not lose hope. He clung to the joy of his Father’s finished plan. And now he enjoys endless hope and joy at the throne of God.
We are told to consider Jesus, think about what he went through on earth. Accusations, betrayals, conflicts, and so much more. Opposition and persecution at the hands of sinful men, trials and temptation spawned by satan himself. In all of this Jesus overcame. Therefore, do not grow weary or lose heart; in other words, there is hope for the hopeless.
In Conclusion
Back to the future… Isaiah is a wonderful book, yet full of challenges for the people of God. There were going to experience captivity under the nation of Assyria. In the midst of the challenges, God offers them hope for their future. The Old Testaments saints looked forward to the mystery of the Cross and the coming Messiah. Their faith and hope engaged with eyes fixated on the future. We look back to the Cross and put our faith and trust in Jesus. He is our hope. We live in a broken world and still wrestle with all kinds of struggles. However, Jesus is running the race right beside us. I would like to end with a verse that has helped me as I run the race with perseverance. Isaiah 40:28-31 – “Do you not know? Have you not heard? The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. 29 He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. 30 Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; 31 but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.”