Worship Preparation Guide for Sunday, July 24 Sermon Text: Isaiah 34 and 35

Two eternal realities are made crystal clear in Scripture: The judgment of God that is coming and the salvation from God that is offered.  In Isaiah 34 there is coming a great and terrible day of fierce judgment.  In Isaiah 35 we see the gracious salvation that is offered.  Those two realities leave each person with a decision to make.  “Chapter 34 shows us what will become of everyone who buys into this world, and chapter 35 shows us what will become of everyone who banks everything on the promised salvation of God.”(Ray Ortland, p 196)  Judgment or salvation: which will it be for you?  You must choose God’s salvation to avoid God’s judgment. 

As you prepare for worship here is a question I have been considering and one I ask you to also think about.  How can we sing about the judgment of God? 

First, It’s important to remember that God is the Judge, not us.  He does not need us to defend his character or his actions.  God is almost unbelievably patient, but Isaiah makes it clear that God’s just anger is a reality to be reckoned with.  So there is an urgent call to listen.  God has put the world on notice.  Being the perfect King that he is he will not tolerate insurrection forever.  His judgment is violent, destructive and complete.  Isaiah looks humanity straight in the eye and says there will be no reprieve, God will not relent or change his mind.

That means we don’t sing about God’s judgments with self-righteousness or callousness.  We who have trusted in Christ have been saved from God’s wrath by God’s grace alone.  Isaiah 35 shows us that our contribution to this great salvation is our blindness, deafness, lameness and silence  (Is 35:5-6).   God in his grace gives us the sight to see, the ears to hear, the agility to leap and dance in worship and the song to sing. 

Second, God judging evil is part of the Bible’s story line to redeem a people for his glory.  As one commenter said, “God’s judgment is simply the ‘negative’ side of our great heartcry, ‘Let your kingdom come!'” (Bob Kauflin, Worship Matters, 10/29/10)

Bob Kauflin writes, “I wonder how many ordinary worshipers (when singing or doing otherwise) view God standing atop Mount Zion with a sword in his hand and a scowl on his face, looking down upon sinful man just waiting for them to oppose him so that he can smite them.  We, then, who have received his grace join him in his angry, purification crusade.  I know I have struggled with that false view of God.  No! He hangs atop Golgotha with his arms outstretched, desiring that all would come into his loving embrace. He does not desire to crush his enemies.  Rather, he is crushed for his enemies.  Otherwise, judgment would triumph over mercy.”

The theme of our worship is not simply that God judges wickedness, but that he rejoices in righteousness.  The way to him is a highway of holiness.  That righteousness – that holiness - has been most clearly demonstrated in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, dying for our sins and rising from the dead.  Because Christ was made to be sin for us, we are now clothed in the righteousness of God and are no longer under his wrath.

Jesus is our hiding place!  This is definitely cause for great rejoicing!

One of the hymns we will use is My Hiding Place, written by Jehoida Brewer in 1776.   Prayerfully consider these lyrics, and come prepared to sing hem as your own testimony. 

Against the God who rules the sky 

I fought with hands uplifted high;

Despised the mention of His grace, 

Too proud to seek a hiding place!

But an eternal counsel ran: 

'Almighty love, arrest that man!'

I felt the arrows of disgrace 

and found I had no hiding place.

Indignant Justice stood in view;  

To Sinai's fiery mount I flew;

But Justice cried with frowning face,  

'This mountain is no hiding place.'

Ere long a heav'nly voice I heard,  

And mercy for my soul appeared,

Which led me on with smiling face 

To Jesus Christ, my hiding place.

On Him almighty vengeance fell: 

Enough to sink the world to hell.

He bore it for His chosen race, 

And thus became their hiding place.

Should storms of mighty vengeance roll 

And shake this earth from pole to pole,

No flaming bolt could daunt my face, 

For Jesus is my hiding place.

My Jesus is my hiding place, 

Surrounding me with steadfast love and grace.

In death He'll be my hiding place, 

And I shall ever see His smiling face.