...in Holy Scripture this evening to the prophecy of Isaiah. We're going to begin reading at Isaiah 52, verse 1. And read through verse 3 of chapter 53. Isaiah 52, verse 1. Awake, awake, put on thy strength, O Zion. Put on thy beautiful garments, O Jerusalem, the holy city. For henceforth there shall no more come into thee the uncircumcised and the unclean. Shake thyself from the dust. Arise and sit down, O Jerusalem. Loose thyself from the bands of thy neck, O captive daughter of Zion. For thus saith the Lord, ye have sold yourselves for naught, and ye shall be redeemed without money. For thus saith the Lord God, my people went down aforetime into Egypt to sojourn there, and the Assyrian oppressed them without cause. Now therefore what have I here, saith the Lord, that my people is taken away for naught? They that rule over them make them to howl, saith the Lord. And my name continually every day is blasphemed. Therefore, my people shall know my name. Therefore, they shall know in that day that I am he that does speak. Behold, it is I. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of Him that bringeth glad tidings, that publisheth peace, that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation, that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth. Thy watchmen shall lift up the voice. With the voice together shall they sing, for they shall see eye to eye when the Lord shall bring again Zion. break forth into joy, sing together, ye waste places of Jerusalem, for the Lord hath comforted his people, he hath redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord hath made bare his holy arm in the eyes of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God, Depart ye, depart ye, go ye out from thence, touch no unclean thing, go ye out of the midst of her, be ye clean that bear the vessels of the Lord. For ye shall not go out with haste, nor go by flight, for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rearward. Behold, my servant shall deal prudently, He shall be exalted, and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonished at His visage so marred more than any man, and His form more than the sons of men, so shall He sprinkle many nations. The king shall shut their mouths at him, for that which had not been told them shall they see, and that which they had not heard shall they consider. Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground. He hath no form nor comeliness, and when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. He is despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief, and we hid, as it were, our faces from Him. He was despised, and we esteemed Him not." And so far we read this evening in God's holy word, I call your attention to the first two verses of Isaiah 53. Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground. He hath no form nor comeliness. And when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him. Beloved in the Lord Jesus Christ, as I announced earlier, over the next several weeks we're going to be considering the Word of God in Isaiah chapter 53. I didn't read that entire chapter tonight. We're going to have ample opportunity to do that more than once in the weeks ahead. But there is a reason why I began tonight by reading Isaiah 52. And in fact, many who have written commentaries on Isaiah 53 begin with the last three verses of Isaiah 52. We have to consider that as the context in which the suffering servant of Jehovah is set before us. And so we're going to take the time by way of introduction this evening to do that. Israel was a people estranged from the Lord. Her iniquities had brought upon her tremendous misery, even bondage to the Assyrian world power in Babylon. That's the picture presented here by way of prophecy, because these things had not yet come to pass. But this is the picture of the history of Israel. From the time of their deliverance out of Egypt, even unto their bondage in Assyria, Israel had been a wayward people constantly brought under the oppression of the enemy. It was so because of God's chastisement. Isaiah had begun his prophecy with that word from God, a sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corruptors. They have forsaken the Lord. They have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger. They are gone away backward. There was an elect remnant. And for their sakes came the chastisement. But Israel as a nation was under the heavy hand of God's wrath because of their constant rejection of the prophets sent from God. In the words of Isaiah 29 verse 13, they were a people that drew near to God with their mouth and honored Him outwardly but their hearts were far from Him. The things of this world had become the objects of their worship. They were more men-pleasers and pleasure-seekers than seekers of truth and the honor of God. They taught their children the ways of the world, the ways of pleasure-seeking, rather than instructing them in the fear of Jehovah God of Israel, And for all their iniquities, they had drunken the cup of God's fury. And that cup was astoundingly terrible. If you look at the history of Israel concerning which Isaiah prophesied here, you find a steady deterioration in the nation. and an increase in God's wrath until the next to the last king, Jehoiachin, is led away captive and the whole royal line is cut off. The last king, Zedekiah, who was really a puppet king of the Assyrians, showed himself an unbeliever and an enemy of the truth. We read that under his leadership, the Israelites mocked the messengers of God and despised his word until there was no remedy from the wrath of God. Zedekiah foolishly tried to rebel against Assyria, contrary to what he was instructed by the prophet Jeremiah, and he found a quick end. He was taken captive and made to watch his own children be slaughtered, after which They plucked out his eyes and killed him. The remnant of Israel was carried away captive to Babylon. The temple and the city of God completely destroyed. We've considered that history. It's a terrible history of the wayward people of God. Now if you think about the situation from the viewpoint of the few God-fearing people that remain, what would one think at such a time? There appeared to be no hope whatsoever for the fulfillment of that promise that God had spoken to Abraham. And they couldn't see it anymore. But God is faithful, and God is merciful, and God never forgets His people. Though we often show ourselves unfaithful, God is unchangeably faithful to His covenant. His kingdom does not end. His purpose shall indeed be accomplished. That's why He sends His prophet, Isaiah, with the words of the promise. The people of God must be assured that God had not forsaken them, that in the end He would show His mercy and deliver them. Moreover, the promise stands, Jehovah will raise up a king from the line of David, of whose dominion shall have no end. By means of the messengers of the gospel, the Lord sends forth His word of promise, and the content of that message that they bring is essentially this, the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God." In the language of power and beauty, the prophet portrays the great deliverance of the church. But then he proceeds to spell out by whom that deliverance shall come. Behold my servant, look upon the Messiah, Contrary to the kings who went before him, he shall deal prudently. He shall be effective in the establishing of God's kingdom, and he shall be exalted and extolled, towering above all. I might say parenthetically that when you and I read those words of Isaiah 52 verse 13, We can't help but be reminded of the exaltation of Christ, of which we read in Philippians 2. God has given Him a name that is above every name. He's exalted over all things, but we speak now of the fulfillment of this prophecy. And that fulfillment, the Israelites could not yet see. But to arm God's people with a proper understanding, Isaiah must also point out this, that before the servant of Jehovah be revealed in his exaltation, he will not look like much. In fact, to the flesh, it is inconceivable that such a man would be for the salvation of Israel. because His exaltation shall come only through suffering, such suffering that will bring astonishment and amazement. But so shall this Messiah sprinkle many nations. He shall purify in a way that the Old Testament symbol of sprinkling could not. As the suffering servant of Jehovah, he shall purify many nations so that even kings will stand in awe before him. So the gospel is set forth by the inspired prophet. And as he continues in Isaiah 53, he speaks of the appearance of Jehovah's servant. That's our theme tonight, the appearance of Jehovah's servant. We notice first of all that that appearance inspires no expectation. Secondly, that that appearance, that coming Messiah is undesirable in appearance. But finally, that he's embraced only by faith. The appearance of Jehovah's servant, inspiring no expectation, undesirable in appearance, and embraced only by faith. Although Isaiah prophesies of the Savior, That Savior, the servant of Jehovah, inspires no expectation by His appearance. He is indeed the arm of the Lord. That expression, the arm of Jehovah, is a figure often used in Scripture to denote His sovereign strength to save. We sing with the psalmist, In Psalm 77, verses 14 and 15, Thou art the God that doest wonders, Thou hast declared Thy strength among the people, Thou hast with Thine arm redeemed Thy people, the sons of Jacob and Joseph. This morning, We heard the law of God read from Deuteronomy chapter 5. We heard the fourth commandment in Deuteronomy 5 tell us that we are to enter into the Sabbath rest that God has appointed us in order to remember that the Lord has brought us out with a stretched out arm. He has saved us with a stretched out arm. That's what it says in Deuteronomy 5 verse 15. Keep the Sabbath day to sanctify it and remember that thou wast a stranger in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee out fenced through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm. Therefore the Lord thy God commanded thee to keep the Sabbath day. So that this servant of Jehovah shall come as Jehovah's arm, as it were, speaks of great things." Notice again Isaiah 52 verse 10, The Lord hath made bare His holy arm, and the eyes of all the nations and all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God. We have here good news. The gospel The servant of Jehovah is representative of Jehovah's power and might to save. In fact, his is the only power to save. In the hopeless situation of that people in bondage, there's this one hope, the arm of Jehovah reaching forth to save. That's the gospel of salvation that Isaiah proclaims to his people. There comes into this world a Savior whose express purpose and calling it is to establish God's covenant promises and to redeem God's people. He shall establish the kingdom of God in glory and power. And of that kingdom there shall be no end. Isaiah sees that as an accomplished fact. And so he prophesies. All divine power and might is revealed in that servant of Jehovah. His name shall be Emmanuel, God with us. But the emphasis of this prophecy falls upon the fact that this arm of Jehovah, the appearance of this servant of Jehovah, shall not be with power and glory. The very opposite shall be seen. And therefore when Jesus Christ appears on the scene of history, He does so without expectation. either in the world or in the church. Oh, it's true, there was the expectation of Mary, his mother, and Zacharias, and Elizabeth, and Anna, and Simeon, and a few others. The remnant of God's elect, and it was just a remnant, still longed for and eagerly awaited the coming of that Messiah. But we speak only of a handful. Among the whole nation of Israel, the Church, and the world has never lived with the expectation of the Messiah's appearance. But the very way in which He appeared did nothing to inspire their awareness that the Savior was in their midst. Isaiah is given to see and to prophesy, for he shall grow up before him as a tender plant and as a root out of a dry ground. Again, the picture is set before us of a tender plant growing up. And this figure is contrary to any picture of strength. Tender plant. There's no strength there. We're looking for a deliverer. We're looking for strength. The people are under the oppression of an enemy. They long for a strong armed leader to take charge and lead an offensive over against the enemy to overcome them. But strength. isn't seen in a tender plant. Strength is seen in a full-grown solid tree. In fact, this reference to a tender plant is actually that of a little shoot, a sucker plant. So that what men see is a little twig that has arisen out of a tree that was either cut down or struck down in a storm. Out of that stump there sprouts a plant. You can picture that in the forest. All kinds of trees struck down, fallen. And there, out of the stump of a fallen tree, there comes a shoot. And you walk right by it. You pay no attention. Because it means nothing to you and to me. There's no strength there. It's only a remnant of what had once been. The tree, you understand, had been the glorious house of David. The glory of Israel. That tree had been brought down. All its foliage, all its branches, all its glory. had been clean cut away, destroyed. And when in the light of the New Testament, I call your attention to the fulfillment of that picture, we see that the royal house of David had been so cut down that all that remained was a slight stump in a dry ground. Mary the Virgin. as born from a poor, obscure female descendant of the royal house of David. Christ was indeed a shoot, a tender plant. The picture is extended by the figure of a root out of a dry ground. Not only did he have a lowly origin, he had inspired no expectation. After all, there's no expectation from a tree that's been cut down or blown down. Many of those trees are rotten to the core. And even less is the expectation when you're talking about a fallen tree in a wasteland A dry ground contributes nothing to growth. You might see a little twig coming from a fallen tree. Some life might even show itself in that twig. But the fact that it's coming from a fallen tree in poor soil, dry ground, only tells you the case is hopeless. There can be no expectation of a new tree Because in dry ground there's no power to produce. There's no life to sustain. A tree that would eventually show itself strong and beautiful. And understand that root and that tender plant combine to speak of a history of a tree that by all outward appearance had been absolutely destroyed, rotten through and through. Everything had developed according to the first proclamation of the Gospel by God Himself in Genesis 3. He had said there would be enmity between the seed of the serpent and the seed of the woman. and that found expression through the entire history of the Old Testament up to when Isaiah prophesied. And you see the kingdom of Israel overtaken and the cause of God as it were completely overcome by the devil and the enemies of God and his church. Even now, the most remote possibility of hope is lost. With the exception of that recent prophecy that Isaiah had spoken to wicked King Ahaz, a virgin shall bring forth a son. Who could even conceive of such a thing? Yes, a root out of a dry ground. Now do you see why there was no expectation that arose out of this servant of Jehovah when he finally appeared on the scene of history? For one thing, once the house of David disappeared, Israel lost hope. Was there any hope at all that the former glory would reappear? So many of the Israelites established their lives in Babylon, gave themselves over entirely to seeking the things of this world, that there was only a remnant left that even had any hope of the promise. And when they finally returned to Jerusalem under the decree of Cyrus, they began rebuilding the temple in the walls of the city. They did so without any hope of seeing the glory that had once marked the kingdom under the reign of David and Solomon. They were just looking for the slightest reflection. And when Jesus finally came, He came in a way totally contrary to the expectations of men. He grew up indeed, but before God. He didn't serve the kingdom of men. He didn't attend the seminary attached to the synagogue as later Paul would under Gamaliel. After all, what could that have contributed to Jesus' spiritual development? It was a dry ground. They were reading their own theories into the Bible. They were adding their own precepts to the Word of God while cutting out the very heart of the Gospel. There was no growth in stature from the viewpoint of earthly status. But as a shoot out of a dry ground, he grew. He grew up before the face of his Heavenly Father. The Spirit of the Lord rested upon him, so he grew. The Lord he served, his focus was the everlasting kingdom. And before God's face, he walked and talked, he fought the good fight, he bore witness to the truth. He was consumed by zeal for his father's house, as we read in the prophecy of Psalm 69. But exactly because of his lowly place and his spiritual focus, those who were carnally minded had no place for him. Not only does the appearance of this servant of Jehovah inspire no expectation, he's also undesirable in appearance. From the viewpoint of his outward appearance, he will be a turn-off to those who were living in the imaginations of their hearts concerning how a Savior should appear. He hath no form nor comeliness. And when we shall see Him, there is no beauty that we should desire Him. You understand, Isaiah speaks here from the viewpoint of the carnal mind, natural men. Because certainly with spiritual eyes, one could see that Jesus had form, even beauty. We read of it in John 1 verse 14. And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace, beauty, and truth. When Isaiah says of Him, He has no form nor comeliness, no beauty, He can't be speaking of Jesus' physical frame, as though perhaps he were deformed or even ugly. It can't be assumed that he was smaller than most men and frail. After all, he was the helper to the carpenter of Nazareth, Joseph, his, not his father, his earthly dad. Jesus was very much a normal young man with normal strengths and weaknesses from a physical point of view. But He was also characterized by beauty, a glory as John speaks of it in John 1 verse 14 that set Him apart as a man. Because though He lived in the likeness of sinful flesh, He had no sin. You and I can't even imagine what it would be like living with Him. He was holy and undefiled, separate from sinners. And although His deity, His godness was hidden, He was the Son of God and is the Son of God in the flesh. And to those whom the Father had given Him, Jesus was indeed seen in unsurpassed beauty as God in the flesh, Immanuel, God with us, the fulfillment of Isaiah's prophecy. His mighty works, wonderful words testify to that very fact. But the point that Isaiah makes in this prophecy is that there was absolutely nothing in his outward appearance that set him apart as the arm of Jehovah. The carnal mind which is enmity against God did not recognize in him the arm of Jehovah. There could be seen from that point of view no form nor comeliness, no beauty for which an earthly-minded man should desire Him. Though He was King of kings, that wasn't seen in Him. He wasn't decked out in purple and scarlet and royal apparel. He wore no crown of gold and jewels as did Solomon. He had no place which he could call his own, let alone a palace. He didn't carry an aura of prestige. Finding his fellowship with kings and queens and those of earthly importance, in fact, with few exceptions, he found his fellowship with common fishermen, hated tax collectors, publicans and sinners. And when the question of his desirability came before the leaders of the people, their reaction was, what good thing can come out of Nazareth? That would be the reaction to the arm of Jehovah. Yes, Isaiah must prophesy. He stands before Israel and proclaims the coming of the Messiah. But the consequence of that Gospel proclamation is seen in the astonishing cry of the prophet. Who hath believed our report? And to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? Isaiah observes an astounding attitude in those who hear this preaching of the Gospel. They reject it. The sound of salvation does not move them. He had proclaimed to them the full Gospel of their salvation. Yes, He had called them to repentance. He had reminded them of their sins. He had told them the reason for their captivity was because the Holy One is jealous of His own glory and maintains His perfect righteousness. Isaiah had always said, thus saith the Lord. But all that he said pointed them to one thing. Salvation comes only in Jesus Christ, the Messiah. Salvation shall come by that arm of Jehovah. That was the full Gospel of Jesus Christ that the Prophet was proclaiming. The Gospel that we hear every Lord's Day by the mercy of our God. Now the fact that Isaiah could preach this remarkable survey of the suffering Christ some 600 years before his incarnation, that's not a difficulty for us because we recognize that all prophecy originated with the Spirit of God. It was by infallible inspiration that the prophet proclaimed the Word of God and recorded it. And Isaiah was conscious of that fact too. But as he considered the fruits upon his labors, he was absolutely astonished. As he looked at the fruits of his preaching, The Spirit inspired him to reveal just what attitude characterized those who heard the preaching. And Isaiah exclaims with amazement and grief that the reaction to the preaching was one of unbelief. Those to whom he preached did not believe his report. They rejected and despised the Messiah whom Isaiah proclaimed. How is this reaction to be explained? Aren't there in fact many men who attract multitudes by their preaching? What a failure Isaiah must have been. Isn't there seen in the church today growing numbers of those who who testify of great joy in their lives and have happiness in a positive view of self and the encouraging words that their ministers speak to them? People of God, you must realize We heard it this morning, considering the content of faithful preaching. You must realize that there is a gospel, so-called, that will be heard by many. But it's not the gospel of Christ. What they hear are words of peace. And Israel heard that plenty too. There were multitudes of false prophets roaming through the land, telling the Israelites exactly what they wanted to hear. And multitudes followed those prophets. but they weren't speaking the Word of Jehovah. And it was exactly because Isaiah's preaching was so contrary to that of the false prophets, they hated his words. Was Isaiah at fault? Didn't he know how to preach? Perhaps he spoke too strongly the words of judgment went hand in hand with his gospel? Didn't he speak about sin in a proper tone of voice? Did Isaiah as a man bring a hindrance to the gospel? Certainly our preaching always reflects our own weaknesses as preachers. But one points the finger in vain at Isaiah if he accuses him of causing a disinterest in the Gospel. Because a study of his preaching will show a man who preached with the love of God burning as a fire in his soul, And his preaching shows that even though he knew himself as a man of unclean lips, he was a man who knew how to speak. But the fact is, this cry is the cry of every faithful preacher of the Gospel who hath believed our report. To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? Though maybe not in those very words, this exclamation has been expressed in prayers by those who have preached the Gospel from Enoch, the first mighty preacher of the Gospel until today. Noah also stood amazed. at the hard-heartedness of men, as did Moses and all the prophets in Israel, but so did the apostles. There never lived a preacher of God's Gospel who did not stand amazed at the apparent rejection of God's Word as people continued in their sinful walk impenitent. We preach that which ought to cause the souls of men to cry out in urgency an inexpressible joy for the so great salvation revealed to us in Jesus Christ. We proclaim the precepts of Jehovah, the very Word of God. We preach the way that God calls us to walk in order that we might show proper thankfulness to Him and to experience the fellowship of His love. But it often seems like we preach to hearts of stone, foreheads of cement, as Ezekiel faced. But even Jesus found it so. Do we criticize Jesus for his preaching? Never. And yet the response to his preaching was overwhelmingly negative. After one extensive sermon, delivered with astounding power, We read in John 6 verse 66, from that time many of His disciples went back and walked no more with Him. You look at the context and you find out what that means. So many, thousands, turned their backs on Him. So that Jesus was left basically with His 12 disciples. And He turned to them and He said, will you also go away? Yet they would say of Him, never man speak like this man. But when they understood He was speaking of them, and to them, they wanted to stone Him. And John looks at Christ in the consciousness of this prophecy of Isaiah and says in John 12 verses 37 and 38, but though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believe not on him that the saying of Isaias the prophet might be fulfilled, which he spake. Lord, who hath believed our report? And to whom hath the arm of the Lord been revealed? You see, beloved, the reason for this amazing rejection of the servant of Jehovah is because to believe God's gospel is to want God's Christ. and the heavenly kingdom and its righteousness that He came to establish. And that's the natural desire of no person, man, woman or child. Yes, men want a kingdom. They want a kingdom where they can go on living as they well please. They want heaven without forsaking their sins and subjecting themselves to the Lordship of Christ. Men want a Christ, but they want a Christ of their own imagination, a Christ that's largely made up of self. And the same is true of you and me. Because by nature all men are dead in trespasses and sin. That's the truth set forth in Ephesians 2 verse 1 and throughout the Bible. The only will that stirs in man's bosom, as far as the Gospel of Christ is concerned, is the will to despise the truth and to crucify the Son of God afresh. But I want you to notice that the exclamation of Isaiah, who hath believed our report, is not one of despair. Because not all reject the gospel. The Savior shall indeed be embraced. But the suffering of servant of Jehovah, the Savior, is embraced only by faith. As we heard this morning, the Savior would say, my sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. So then, who hath, who will believe our report? Who will lay hold of the gospel of salvation? The answer is found in the following question. To whom is the arm of the Lord revealed? Who believes the gospel we preach? Who has seen the need for salvation from their sin? Who has believed that this man without any earthly form or comeliness is the arm of Jehovah? Who is willing to have God save us in His way? Who through this preaching trusts in Jehovah? and in Jesus as the mighty Redeemer of His people. They to whom Jehovah reveals His arm. You see, it's a matter of revelation. It's a matter of God speaking and speaking powerfully by His Holy Spirit. Is this accomplished merely through outward preaching? No. Even as we've seen from Scripture, many receive not the preaching of the Gospel. They reject it in the hardness of their hearts. They receive no comfort from it whatsoever. And to such Christ says in John 10 verse 26, But ye believe not, because ye are not of my sheep, as I said unto you." But to those whom God has given to Christ from eternity, He reveals Himself. In Jesus, Jehovah saves. In Christ, He saves His people from their sin. God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem them that were under the law. He paid for their sins by His suffering and death on the cross. His kingship was hidden. But He arose from the grave and was exalted at God's right hand, King of kings and Lord of lords is He. By His Spirit, He works even now raising His people from their spiritual death, making them new creatures in Christ, writing His law in their hearts. And when, through the preaching of the Gospel, the Spirit powerfully reveals to you the arm of Jehovah, You lay hold of that Christ by faith. Then you recognize spiritually the death in which you lie by nature. And you learn to hunger and thirst after righteousness and delight to walk in obedience to God. And then this servant of Jehovah whom we proclaim does receive form and comeliness. He's beautiful to you because in Him is your only comfort in life and death. Do you believe this? Amen. Gracious Father, we thank Thee for the prophecy of the Messiah, and for giving us to see the fulfillment in our Lord Jesus Christ. And Heavenly Father, we pray that we live with our eyes fixed upon Him. To Thy name's honor and glory, amen.