In God's word, we are looking to Isaiah chapter 12. It's found on page 733, if you're making use of a Bible that's provided in your pew. This is God's holy and inspired word, and that is why we pay careful attention to its reading. You will say in that day, I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away, that you might comfort me. Behold, God is my salvation. I will trust and will not be afraid. For the Lord God is my strength and my song, and he has become my salvation. With joy, you will draw water from the wells of salvation, and you will say in that day, give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously. Let this be made known in all the earth. Shout and sing for joy, O inhabitants of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel. This ends the reading of God's word. Would you pray with me again? O gracious God in heaven, we thank you, Lord, for your word. We thank you that you have brought us to your word once again this day. As we bring this day to a close in worship, song, and ministry of your word, read and proclaimed, we thank you, Father, through your Son, our Savior Jesus Christ, asking that you would be with us now by the power of your spirit to bless us as you minister to us your grace. As we ask in Jesus' name, amen. So we read from Isaiah chapter 12 this evening. How did we get to this point in this book, in this prophecy of singing a song of salvation in the prophet Isaiah? Earlier this month, I heard a preacher liken Isaiah 1 through 12 to a front porch, the front porch to the book of Isaiah as a whole. serving as something of a microcosm of the whole book. You see the holy God of Israel in these chapters come to an unholy people with the promises of salvation through God with us, Emmanuel. God himself is salvation for his people with those promises to his people, the prophet sings. It's almost as if this song of salvation speaks to the songs of salvation that will come at the end of Isaiah, which speak to the songs of salvation we sing in the new heavens and new earth in Revelation 21. It really is a prophet, a book as a whole, with a grand scope, but we even find that grand scope in sort of smaller spaces in this book overall. The subject, he is rather the subject of our song. God is our salvation. In chapters one through five of Isaiah, he teaches, or sketches rather, the situation into which he was called. In those chapters, you might remember if you're familiar with this book, in those chapters, the basic theme is that of disobedience, which is literally surrounded by hope and no hope on the one hand, but on the other, the sin of God's people must be judged. and it is this sin that must be judged that dominates the landscape, especially as chapter 5 contains no sense of hope and ends with a vision of unrelenting darkness. But then chapter 6 opens with the story of a single sinner cleansed. Isaiah himself is cleansed through this calling, or in this calling, as well, though, not only is a single sinner cleansed, And this is very interesting. This porch into Isaiah closes in chapter 12 with a song of salvation and praise that comes from a saved people of God. A community of saints saved by the mighty hand of God as a whole. There's a movement in these chapters showing us that in the midst of the unrelenting darkness, the Lord God of Israel will not only save one sinner, but he will save all of his people from their sins. And so we have a song of praise for this salvation. There is no more mention of the wrath of God here hanging over his people, but of anger turned away now and of salvation provided. Then the final part of the song turns to the wonderful deeds of the Lord. Chapter 12 has these two parts to it. They're very easy to see. You can see them with me now, those two parts. are formed in the phrase, in that day. You see it there at verse 1 and you see it at verse 4. In verse 1, Isaiah speaks of you individually, you personally. It's singular. You will say in that day. And in verse 4, the prophet broadens his scope. And you will say in that day, it's you, plural. You plural, the community of God's people will say in that day, the congregation will say in that day, the people of God, it is the church who will say in that day that is being seen there. Those are the two parts, the two songs. 1 through 2, very short, and 4 through 6. And in the middle, at the center, is verse 3, which is this wonderful prophetic word of promise. With you, plural, with you all, we can say generically, with you all, we'll draw water from the wells of salvation. So whether it's the individual member of the house of God or the household of the living God, we who come by faith, we are drawn into this passage, we are drawn into the praise of God, we are called to praise the Lord in this song of salvation for the salvation that He brings to us in the person and the work of His Son. You are drawn to the water of life. to drink deeply with joy from the wells of salvation. So as we come to this first song in verses one and two, we see in these first two verses language that is reminiscent of the Exodus. You remember how Israel is led out of Egypt by the mighty hand of God, his strong arm? And after crossing the sea, after seeing the armies of Pharaoh destroyed with Moses and Miriam, Israel sings a song of salvation, a song of triumph, a song of victory in praise of the Lord's deliverance. Isaiah paints a picture here of deliverance, not of an exodus or the exodus, but of another exodus. It's a return from exile. It's a being brought back into God's presence, back into the promised land in that day. In that day when there is a much bigger deliverance, a much greater salvation, in that day, he's referring to something that is to come, something in the future, something promised that they must trust in, that the people of God must have faith in God to accomplish. He's referring to that day when comfort will come to the people of God. A day experienced by His people upon their return from Babylon, but also He's speaking to that day when the greater exodus would be accomplished by our Lord Jesus. Yes, when the Lamb of God, who would die for the sins of His people delivering us, not from Babylon or bondage in Egypt, but from the wrath of God, from His condemnation as we are drawn near to him in Christ, Jesus, our Savior. And do you notice how this song is a song of salvation and therefore has the focus on God's goodness and on his generosity. I will give thanks to you, O God. He is the focus. He's the focal point of all of our praise. He is at the center. It is good and right for God to be the center of our thanksgiving. We're in that season of time, aren't we? Time of thanksgiving. You all started getting the thank-offering notices? We are in a season of thanksgiving in this country when we come and we give thanks to the Lord for His goodness and His generosity to us. And here we see Isaiah shouting out, I will give thanks to you, O Lord. It is the right response of creatures that they should acknowledge their Creator with thanksgiving. It's the right response of a redeemed people that we should thank our Redeemer for the redemption. It's the right response of those who are dead in their trespasses and sins to give thanks to the one who has made them alive together with Christ Jesus and ushered us into the heavenly places in him. It's the right response of children who receive their father's generous and kindness and his goodness. We should look up to our father and say, I will give thanks to you, O Lord, for though you were angry with me, Your anger turned away that you might comfort me. Did you hear that? Verse one, there we see the right response to God and the cause of the praise for though you were angry with me, your anger turned away that you might comfort me. Those are good words. In this one phrase lies the heart of the gospel. and therefore the cause of our thanksgiving and praise. The great Old Testament theologian E.J. Young explains, although God had indeed been angry and rightly so, his anger had turned. In that thought lies the heart of redemption. God's anger has turned, but turned from me to Christ. and I who deserve the anger of God to be poured out upon me have received his comfort instead." You've got to take a moment. You've got to meditate on words like that. If not Young's, Isaiah's. Your anger turned away from me that you might comfort me. Just let it sink in. Now we, looking back upon these words, we see how this will be accomplished in Christ. But Isaiah has not yet explained how this anger will be turned away. Isaiah hasn't yet explained how it is that the anger of God will be turned away from those who deserve it. But Isaiah has already experienced the atonement and cleansing. We see in chapter six, verses six and seven at the altar, there's a burning coals. Behold, this has touched your lips. Your guilt is taken away, your sin atoned for. And since chapter six, Israel has, as a nation, is shown to be a nation in rebellion, a people in rebellion against your God, but the Lord promised to save a remnant for himself who would enter a glorious hope, and at least in part, that's what we get to see here. Isaiah shows the outcome. God shows or says that we will sing, your anger is turned away, that you might comfort me. Now, that language should remind us familiar with Isaiah. It should remind us of chapter 40, comfort ye my people, Jerusalem, where we see that comfort of God come to a people in the midst of exile and its anticipated comfort that would come through the promises of God. And again, from our vantage point, we see how this is accomplished. We see through the promises of God set out in this prophecy. But from Isaiah's point of view, these things won't be explained until Isaiah chapter 53. You understand that chapter. When we see how that anger can in fact be turned away, where the anger of God can only be turned away by another bearing the punishment of sin, by another bearing that guilt of sin. And we see clearly that in Christ. I will give thanks to you, O Lord. For though you were angry with me, your anger turned away that you might comfort me. Isaiah here doesn't speak to those specifics, the specifics of that turning away. In the New Testament, writers call it propitiation. But he's talking about the outcome of redemption. And you see that in verse 2 there. Look there at those beautiful words. As one redeemed who's had the anger of God turned away from them, Behold, God is my salvation. I will trust and will not be afraid. For the Lord God is my salvation and my song and he has become my salvation. He understands that he could never have turned away the anger of God. That he couldn't comfort himself, God had to do it all. And so therefore, God is my salvation. God is my rescuer, my deliverer, my redeemer, my comforter. This is my God, my strength. Because salvation is of God. I will trust. I will not be afraid. He sings like the man of Psalm 112 verse 7. He is not afraid of bad news. His heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. Take that verse to heart in election season. He is not afraid of bad news. His heart is firm, trusting in the Lord. The person who comes to terms with God's salvation loves those words from Romans. God shows us his love and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. You who've seen that, you sing. I will trust and will not be afraid. And what happens because of this? Look at the end of verse 2. The Lord God is my strength and my song and He has become my salvation. Here Isaiah reflects upon the language of the Exodus more specifically from Exodus 15 verse 2. The Lord is my strength and my song. He has become my salvation. This is my God and I will praise Him. There, it's that specific response to the exodus. After the great deliverance at the Red Sea, Moses and the delivered people sing these words, almost identical to what Isaiah brings forth here. Isaiah adds a word to it, though. He identifies the Redeemer as Yahweh, specifically looking forward to that Covenant God, that One who will come, who names Himself the Great I Am. Looking forward to Christ, to the New Covenant, to the redemption that comes through the New Covenant. As the Lord had been the strength of His people to redeem them out of Egypt, so He is their strength now. Israel and Judah had enemies all about them. They were bigger, they were stronger, they're going to overwhelm them and destroy them, eventually bringing Judah into deportation to Babylon. Where do we look for strength in the midst of a crisis? Isaiah has said, you have a much bigger problem than Syria even though coming from the north. Isaiah has already spoken to that greater problem of the people of God's rebellion, of their idolatry, of their sin, and of their disobedience. That sin is the problem that Isaiah wants God's people to know. Their idolatrousness has put them in this situation. It is their sin that is the problem. Their unbelief. Their unwillingness to trust God at His word. That sin is the problem that Isaiah wants God's people to know because sin turned God's anger toward them. It alienated them from the Lord God who made us, who would redeem us. And we sinned against that God, and that's the problem. But in the midst of that, what do we say? God is our strength. God has become my salvation. He came to my deliverance. He is my deliverer. Therefore, he is my song. He is our song. He is that which causes joy in our hearts. God is. Now in verse three, Verse three says, with joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. With joy, you again, plural, you as a congregation, you as the people of God, you will draw water from the wells of salvation. Here we find in this prophetic word of promise, which in effect is the rationale for the whole chapter, It's the theme of salvation that is so prominent here. Salvation experienced in the fullest measure, like water drawn from an inexhaustible well. In a desert, a parched land, a wilderness, water is life. There is a theme that comes up throughout the prophets that God's people, though redeemed, are a people thirsty and needy, living in the midst of a wilderness or a desert and needing to be freshed, refreshed, as well as rescued and revived, as well as brought out of danger, temptation and trial. The people of God are meant to know that the Lord God is their deepest satisfaction with this water. That the Lord God is their greatest contentment. That the thing that will really nourish their souls is not really a thing, but a who. The Lord God is the nourisher of your soul. He is the water of everlasting life. But what are they doing? What do we so very often do? They and we look everywhere else but to God. But God only satisfies. Only God brings that contentment. Only God will really nourish your soul for you to be refreshed. You know this salvation and you draw from the wells of salvation. You come to Christ and you keep coming over and over and over again. Who is it that has the living water, the wells of salvation? Jesus, you remember, says to that woman at the well of Samaria, if you knew the gift of God and who it was asking you for a drink, you would have said to Him, give me living water. That's what Jesus came to do. He came to satisfy your souls with Himself. He gives us the Holy Spirit and refreshes us over and over and over again and again and again. They're saying, day by day, draw from the abundant and fresh, satisfying supply that the Lord Jesus brings into your life. Every Lord's Day, after hard days, long weeks in the wilderness of this world, which I know can be frustrating, they can be long, they can be hard, they can be tiring. Every Lord's Day we come thirsty. We come finding that the things of this world are frustrating, they're wearying, and you're tired. The things of this world can do all sorts of things, but what they cannot do is they cannot satisfy your soul. They cannot satisfy your deepest needs. But at the same time there is a part of you that feels sometimes satisfied in sin. You understand this. For a moment or two you feel good and pleased with yourself. And then it's gone and you know your guilt. Don't look to the things of this world no matter how satisfying they appear to be. or enjoying they appear to be, that joy is fleeting. That pleasure, it will not last. Look at verses four through six with me lastly for this evening. where we see a proclamation of the Lord's salvation. Look what he says in verse four. And you will say in that day, give thanks to the Lord, call on his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. Here now continuing from verse three, Isaiah speaks to the congregation as a whole. Listen to what, again, E.J. Young says about this verse. It's an extended quote, so stick with me. What is described in this verse is not only a consequence and result of drawing water from the wells of salvation. More than that, it is also the outworking of such drawing. When men enjoy the blessings of salvation, they must make known the glories of the redeeming and pardoning God. When the heart overflows with the bounties of the Lord, the tongue speaks forth his praises. In that day, so different from the day in which Isaiah lived, when men oppressed one another and despised the holy name of Israel's God, men would speak to one another and joining upon each other the holy duty of praising the Lord. In calling upon his name, and there is no other name upon which men should call. Men are acknowledging him to be what he is. His name is himself, his very being. It is his infinite, eternal, and unchangeable being. Wisdom, power, holiness, justice, goodness, and truth. Under this designation of calling upon God, the entirety of true worship is included. In other words, we don't keep the mighty deeds of God to ourselves. We want the people out there to hear about the mighty deeds of our God, and we want to proclaim to them that this name, His name, is exalted. We preach that His name is exalted, for He Himself is the High and Holy One. What are we saying to the world around us? that the name of Jesus, the great I AM, His name is exalted above all earthly powers. His name is exalted. We preach His name is exalted to remind the world that they reject and forget, for they do not magnify Him in their hearts. This is what the church does. The church proclaims the exalted name of God in Jesus Christ. Notice that. Sing praises to the Lord, for He has done gloriously, and He is the Holy One of Israel. Shout and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion. I don't even have to preach this. It preaches itself. That's all those who belong to the church of God, singing and shouting for joy. For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel. This makes me think of Isaiah 6 and 7. If you think about the Holy One of Israel, and you think of Him being in the midst of the people of God. Isaiah finds himself in the presence of the Holy God of Israel. And He is in your midst. Emanuel chapter 7. Holy, holy, holy. Chapter 6. God with us, in the midst of us. There is this exalted God and His praise is sung. Holy, holy, holy is the Lord of hosts. The whole earth is full of His glory. He's saying to us as God's people, the very center of our lives, our praise, of our living, of our worship, of our everything. The Holy God of Israel is with you. He's in the midst of you. comforting you, encouraging you, guarding you, blessing you with the face of his favor. Behold, Jesus says, I am with you always to the end of the ages. Remember how the Apostle John writes in Revelation 21? I heard a loud voice saying from the throne, Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more. Neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away. For great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel. That's Isaiah 12, 6. Shout and sing for joy, O inhabitants of Zion! This is the God who is in your midst! And Jesus promises forever. The great God, Redeemer, Savior, Provider, is the focal point For you, God's people, shout and sing, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel. Pray with me. Gracious God in heaven, Lord, would you bless this congregation of your people to know Your presence among them as the Holy One of Israel, to be a holy people, born of the Holy God of Israel by the power of Your Holy Spirit, blessing each one, and as a body joined together, You in the midst of Your people, O God, we are blessed forevermore. And so give us that joy to sing. Give us that grace to proclaim the great and exalted name of Jesus Christ. Here and to the ends of the world we pray. Asking in Jesus name. Amen.