Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: Promises Of The Law

Judgement And Redemption

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: Covenant Theology

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2017-10-03

Synopsis: Pastor John Weaver expounds Isaiah 1:21-31, arguing that biblical redemption is inseparable from judgment. He demonstrates that God purifies His people and destroys His enemies simultaneously, using historical examples and the cross of Christ. Applications include viewing judgment as a friend, living holily to avoid chastisement, and praying for the end of wickedness.

[John Weaver] Chapter 1 and we're going to be reading verses 21 through 31 Isaiah chapter 1 verses 21 through 31 the title of the message is judgment and redemption judgment and redemption So Isaiah chapter 1 and verse 21, how has the fateful city become a harlot? It was full of judgment. Righteousness lodged in it, but now murderers. Thy silvers become dross, thy wine mixed with water. Thy princes are rebellious and companions of thieves.

[John Weaver] Everyone loveth gifts and followeth after rewards. They judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come before them. Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty one of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies. And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin. And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counselors as at the beginning.

[John Weaver] Afterwards thou shalt be called the city of righteousness, the fateful city. Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness. And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed. For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired, and you shall be confounded for the gardens that you have chosen. For you shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water.

[John Weaver] And the strong shall be as a toe, and the maker thereof as a spark. And they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them. When you talk about judgment and redemption, the average Christian does not associate judgment and redemption. We either think of judgment or we think of redemption, but usually we do not think of them together. And usually in this day and time when redemption is mentioned, someone merely thinks of an item that has been pawned and then purchased back. When you go to the pawn shop, the item is pawned, money is borrowed and later the money is brought back plus interest and the item that was pawned then is said to be redeemed. There was no judgment involved with the exception of the interest sometimes exorbitant, but everything was restored as it was previously. But when the Bible speaks about judgment and redemption it speaks in different language. Biblically speaking judgment and redemption go together.

[John Weaver] In fact, I'm going to show you later from the Scripture, it's almost impossible to have one without the other. The Bible says in verse 27, and this is the text, Zion shall be redeemed with judgment. The word redeemed in our text is the Hebrew word padah, which literally means to redeem, to ransom, to rescue, and to deliver. It is translated as redeemed 48 times in our Bibles, as well as being translated as deliver, ransom, and rescued. Now the word redeemed, or the Hebrew word podal, is actually used in two senses in scriptures.

[John Weaver] It always carries, however, the idea of deliverance as from captivity, danger, punishment, slavery, and sin. So sometimes this word is used in reference to what you and I would call a delivery or a rescue without a ransom being involved. But secondly, it is used oftentimes where there is a rescue or deliverance and a ransom price is paid. So let me give you the two illustrations, first of all, where it is used and just simply translated as delivered.

[John Weaver] So if you look in your Bibles to Genesis chapter 14 holding Isaiah chapter 1, in Genesis chapter 14 everyone knows the story how Abraham rescued his nephew Lot. And the Bible says in Genesis chapter 14 beginning there with verse 18 after the rescue, the Bible says, and Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine and he was priest of the most high God. And he blessed him and said, Blessed be Abram of the Most High God, possessor of heaven and earth. And he blessed the Most High God, which hath delivered," there is the same word, delivered thine enemies into thine hand, and he gave him tithes of all. So in this instance the Hebrew word, padah, is translated simply as delivered. Then if you will look in Genesis chapter 37 and verse 21, you will remember how that Joseph has been taken, cast into a pit and his brothers are considering murdering him. But of course Reuben of course wants to deliver him and the Bible says in Genesis 37 and verse 21, and Reuben heard it and he delivered him out of their hands and said let us not kill him.

[John Weaver] So the word delivered there is the same Hebrew word podal. Now in each of these instances The word, of course, is rightly translated as delivered, because there was no ransom paid. Abraham destroyed his enemies without a ransom price. And, of course, Reuben delivered Joseph without a ransom price. But if you will turn in your Bibles to the book of Hosea, right after the book of Daniel, I will show you how the word is used again, this time with a ransom price. So notice in Hosea chapter 1, In Hosea 1, verses 2 and 3, God instructs Hosea to go marry an impure woman. And of course He instructs him to do this, number one, to show what Israel has done to God, and number two, to show the great love that God still has for His people. So in Hosea 1, verse 2, the beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea, And the Lord said to Hosea, Go take unto thee a wife of whoredoms, and children of whoredoms. For the land hath committed great whoredoms, departing from the Lord.

[John Weaver] So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim, which conceived, and bare him a son." Now if you read on down you are going to find that he and Gomer had several children as well. But when you look in Hosea chapter 3, Gomer has left him. She's committed adultery. She ends up in the slave market. And Hosea goes and buys her back, or redeems her. So Hosea 3, beginning there with verse 1, Then said the Lord unto me, Go yet, love a woman, beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love that the Lord hath toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine.

[John Weaver] So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an omer of barley, and for a half omer of barley. And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days, thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man, so will I also be for thee." So you might as well say it very plainly, Gober was redeemed, she was bought back out of the slave market.

[John Weaver] So here is a picture then of redemption where a price is paid. normally would not concede a judgment in this instance unless it was upon the one who did the purchasing, because obviously it did cost Hosea something. Many of you know that William Booth was the founder of the Salvation Army. What you probably do not know is that William Booth and his wife, also purchased people who were being sold as slaves, they redeemed them in order that they might free them.

[John Weaver] And incidentally, the same practice is being carried on even today. There are people being sold into slavery in multiple lands, and people are being redeemed out of slavery. If you want to examine this idea, Go to your Internet and just simply type in modern day slavery and redemption. And you will be surprised at how many people are still buying other people back out of slavery. So just simply put in modern day slavery and redemption and you will get numerous sites that pop up on the subject.

[John Weaver] Now in the text before us in Isaiah chapter 1, and that is our text. In this text redemption is being accomplished upon a people that had been previously redeemed. And these people are the Judahites, that is they are the people of Judea. They are the people of the southern kingdom. So if you look in Isaiah chapter 1 and verse 1 you will see who is in the context. Watch carefully. Isaiah 1, verse 1, the vision of Isaiah the son of Amos which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah kings of Judah. So we are talking about the Judahites, we are talking about the southern kingdom. These are part of the Israelites who had been delivered out of Egypt and now of course they are going to be redeemed again.

[John Weaver] Now, very quickly, verses 2 through 15 gives us an overview of the situation. And you've got to understand this overview in order to see the truth that's going to be enunciated in verse 27 just shortly. We're going to work our way there. But I want you to see how God describes Judah and Jerusalem is rebellious children. Look in verse 2 he says,"'Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the Lord has spoken. I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me.'" So Judah and Jerusalem are called rebellious children.

[John Weaver] In fact their sin has basically made them dumber than an animal. For verse 3 the Bible says,"'The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib. But Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider.'" they did not know which side their bread was buttered upon, and who buttered that bread. They were just as ignorant as they could be. Verse 4 identifies Judah and Jerusalem for what they actually were. He says, Ah, 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 into anger, they are going way backward. Kind of reminds you of what is going on in America today in how it could aptly describe us as well. But verse 5 reveals another truth, that these people would not receive correction, they would not receive chastisement. Look in verse 5, why should you be stricken anymore?

[John Weaver] You will revolt more and more, the whole head is sick and the whole heart faint. And then of course verse 6 shows you how absolutely perverted, depraved, and debauched they were as a nation. He says, from the sole of the foot even to the head, there is no soundness in it but wounds and bruises and putrefying sores that have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment. And the interesting thing is this, verses 7 and 8 now show us the result that sin and that rebellion and that depravity upon a nation, a society, and a culture. So look in verse 7, he says, your country is desolate.

[John Weaver] Your cities are burned with fire. Your land, strangers devoured in your presence. And it is desolate as overthrown by strangers. That's us. Watch verse 8, And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in the vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city." In other words you've got just a little space, not much, everything else is besieged and everything else is basically destroyed. To show you the absolute extent of the corruption Isaiah says this in verse 9, except the Lord of hosts had left us a very small remnant, we should have been a and we should have been made like unto Gomorrah. So he says God would have been just to have destroyed all of us, but He did indeed leave us a remnant. Now I want you to look at verse 10, because remember in verse 10 God is addressing Judah and Jerusalem. And look what He says, Hear the word of the Lord you rulers of Sodom, give ear to the law of our God you people of Gomorrah, So he is calling the rulers, the rulers of Sodom.

[John Weaver] And he is calling the people, the people of Gomorrah. They were so totally, absolutely corrupt and of course God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.

[John Weaver] Now to show you the wickedness of the people I want you to look at verses 11-15. Because these people although they were the enemies of God they were sinful and wicked and rebellious. They still continued to observe the ceremonies and the sacrifices which God would not acknowledge and God would not accept. So look in verse 11. He asked, to what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me, saith the Lord?

[John Weaver] I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts, and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When you come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand to tread my courts? no more vain oblations. Incense is an abomination to me. The new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with it.

[John Weaver] It is iniquity, even the solemn meeting. Your new moons and your appointed feasts, my soul hateth. They are a trouble unto me, and I am weary to bear them. And when you spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you. Yea, when you make many prayers, I will not hear. Your hands are full of blood." So you have to stop and ask this question, did not God appoint those feasts and the solemn days and the new moons and the Sabbaths? Of course He did. But these people had turned all of these things into ceremonies and rituals and their lives were absolutely opposite of what God demanded. And God said, I am not going to have that. Now the interesting thing is when you look in verses 16-20 What God does is he now tries to reason with an unreasonable people Look at what he says in verse 16 Wash you make you clean put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes cease to do evil and Learn to do well.

[John Weaver] Seek judgment. Relieve the oppressed. Judge the fatherless. Plead for the widow. Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord. Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. Though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you be willing and obedient, you shall eat of the good of the land. But if you refuse and rebel, you shall be devoured with the sword, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it."

[John Weaver] Now, the interesting thing is this. He asked the people to reason with him, and when you look back in verse 5, he asks, why will you be stricken anymore? You will revolt more and more. The whole head is sick and the whole heart is faint. Usually, a people who ignore the rod will not listen to reason, will not listen to logic, and will not listen to argument. And so he says, I've tried the rod, that didn't work. I'll try reasoning, it won't work either probably, but if you are willing and obedient you shall eat of the good of the land.

[John Weaver] If you refuse and rebel you'll die, it's just that simple. Now, to show you the depths of how far Judah and Jerusalem had fallen, I want you to look at verse How is the fateful city become a harlot? It was full of judgment, righteousness lodged in it, but now murderers. You see, Jerusalem was once fateful, pure, righteous, and obedient. And now God says it is a harlot. It's full of injustice, murder, fraud, deceit, graft, materialistic, unconcerned, and uncompassionate.

[John Weaver] poor, the widow, the fatherless, the homeless, did not matter to any of these people. Their attitude was much like the attitude of today of individuals when they say, I'm looking out for number one. It doesn't really bother me about all these other people. I'm just looking out for myself. And so God calls Jerusalem now basically a harlot. He says they are full of Injustice, unrighteousness, and murder.

[John Weaver] Pretty well sums up Chicago and Washington, D.C. as well, as well as a lot of other states.

[John Weaver] Now, undoubtedly, there were some righteous people left in Judah and Jerusalem. God always has a remnant. You remember in the days of Elijah? When Elijah said, they've torn down thine altars, and they've destroyed your prophets, et cetera, God told Elijah, I've got 7,000 that have never bowed the knee to Baal.

[John Weaver] Now, just stop and think. Those 7,000 were scattered throughout all of Israel. And even Elijah thought, there's not any. But what is 7,000 compared to an entire nation? But the fact is there was a remnant there. There was a small group who was still believing. Even in Ezekiel's day, according to Ezekiel chapter 9 verse 4, there were still some that sighed and cried for the abomination of Jerusalem.

[John Weaver] But here's an observation, and I want you to follow this observation in light of what I'm going to be showing you from the scripture momentarily. In Elijah's time, God did not send a revival. He sent judgment. He sent a drought, a famine, and death. In Ezekiel's time, God did not send a revival. He sent the Babylonian army, and famine, death and captivity. In each of these instances God sent judgment. Now, I want you to look down to verse 27. Look at it. We're going to come back. But look at verse 27. God says, Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness. Hmm. Zion shall be redeemed with judgment. Do you realize we are not going to escape the consequences of our sins? We're not going to escape the consequences of our sins. God may deliver us, but it may be through judgment. Moreover, if you look in verse 27, He says, Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.

[John Weaver] In other words, those who turn to the Lord, or those who are spared, will be made absolutely righteous. That is, they will be walking in obedience according to God and His Law. They will walk according to His Word.

[John Weaver] Now, I want to call your attention to the fact that he keeps saying, Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts. In other words, there's going to be some who are going to be made righteous. I want you to turn in your Bibles, hold Isaiah 1, but look in Isaiah 26. Begin reading there with verse 8. Isaiah 26 and verse 8. Look what Isaiah writes. We'll read through verse 12, then we're going to go back to Isaiah 1. But look at Isaiah 26, verse 8.

[John Weaver] Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee." Stop right there. Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, we've waited for thee. The desire of our soul is to thy name and to the remembrance of thee. Why are they desiring his name and desiring to remember him? Because of his judgments. Now watch verse 9. With my soul have I desired thee in the night. Yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early. For when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness."

[John Weaver] Now not all of them, but some are going to. Watch if you would please verse 10. Let favor be showed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness? In the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. Lord, when thy hand is lifted up, that is, in anger, in judgment, they will not see, but they shall see. And be ashamed, for they are envious at thy people, at the people.

[John Weaver] Yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them. Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us, for thou hast wrought all our works in us." So interestingly, he says in verse 9, the latter part, for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness. What inhabitants? Well, he's not talking about the wicked because he said in verse 10, let favor be showed to the wicked, yet he will not learn righteousness. In the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. There are going to be some that will learn righteousness. If you will look back in Isaiah 1 and verse 24, what is going to happen to those who will not learn righteousness, who will not obey, and will not walk according to the Word of God? Look in verse 24.

[John Weaver] Therefore, thus saith the Lord of hosts, the mighty one of Israel, I will ease me of mine adversaries and avenge me of mine enemies. Hmm, that's interesting. God says in verse 24 that he's going to ease himself of his adversaries and avenge himself of his enemies. Here's a question for you. In the context, who are his enemies and who are his adversaries? We're not talking about pagan people. We're not talking about the heathens. We're talking about Judah and Jerusalem. We're talking about His professing people. We're talking about a people who claim to be in covenant with Him.

[John Weaver] They were not in reality. why He was rejecting all of their worship and would have received none of their oblations and none of their sacrifices because they were absolutely wicked and contrary to Him. But God is saying that these adversaries and these enemies are people in His own nation, in His own group. The interesting thing is this, Isaiah 1 shows you how pained and grieved God was because of their sins and rebellions. His patience had been put to the utmost trial, and now God says, I'm going to ease myself. I'm going to take care of this. I'm going to destroy my enemies. I want you to hold Isaiah 1, but look in your Bibles to the book of Ezekiel chapter 5 and verse 13. Here's another similar expression. where God is going to bring judgment upon the people. Notice Ezekiel chapter 5 and verse 13. God says it like this, Thus shall mine anger be accomplished, and I will cause my fury to rest upon them, and I will be comforted. And they shall know that I am the Lord, that I the Lord have spoken it into my zeal, when I have accomplished my fury upon them.

[John Weaver] was God comforted by accomplishing His fury upon these people who were so wicked, who were so depraved? You know it was Moses who gave us this same truth in Deuteronomy 28 and verse 63 when he said, as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good, so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you. In other words if you disobey Him. So God is calling it an easement when He destroys His enemy. It's a comfort when He destroys His enemy. It's a rejoicing when He destroys His enemies. And the enemies happen to be His own people. If you would turn right over to Isaiah 63 and look at verse 10. In fact, let's read verse 9 just so you can see we're still talking about Judah and Jerusalem, okay? Look at Isaiah 63 beginning there in verse 9. Look at it. Isaiah 63, verse 9.

[John Weaver] In all their affliction, He was afflicted. And the angel of His presence saved them in His love and His pity. He redeemed them. We're talking about Israel. And He bared them and cared them all the days of old. But they rebelled and vexed His Holy Spirit. Therefore He was turned to be their enemy, and He fought against them. So here's the people that he brought out of the land that rebelled against him, and now he's turned to be their enemy, and now he's fighting against them. That's why he said in verse 24, Therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts, the mighty one of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies, which happen to be in his own land. Look at verse 25, how will God do that?

[John Weaver] He said, And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy sin. Now when He says, I will turn my hand, or I will stretch out my hand, you have to understand that the turning of the hand, or the outstretching of the hand can either be for affliction punishment or it can be for deliverance and salvation so I can stretch out my hand like this and it would hurt or I could stretch out my hand like this and take your hand and help deliver you so which is it the answer is it's both because God is going to turn his hand against his enemies and at the same time He's going to save his people. So the adversaries here were his own professing people.

[John Weaver] Have you ever stopped to think about this? It's kind of like America. We, in this day and time, have betrayed our founding fathers. principles upon which they built this nation. We have also turned our backs upon and betrayed the God who gave us this nation. And what did Judah and Jerusalem do? They betrayed the founding principles and they also betrayed the God who gave them that nation.

[John Weaver] Now God says, I'm going to straighten things out. When he says in verse 25, and I will turn my hand upon thee and purely purge away thy dross, the verse refers to the process of smelting or purifying metals in the fire. It means that God would remove all the dross, that is all the sin, The filth that has been accumulated look back if you would in verse 22. He said thy silver is become dross In other words, there's no purity It's adulterated. It's watered down. It's weakened. It's not what it was supposed to be and smelting is commonly done by fire and And the idea that God is presenting in verse 25 is simply that he would render his own people pure by those judgments which would destroy his enemies who were intermingled with his people. Wow. Now, he said in verse 25, and I will turn my hand upon thee and purely purge away thy dross and take away all thy tin.

[John Weaver] John Trapp, the old Puritan, rightly said it, that the tin compares to their hypocrisy. Here's what he said. Thine hypocrisy, for tin hath a show of silver. That is, it looks like it. It's the same color. But it is not so. Nay, it is a deadly enemy to gold and silver, saith one, making them hard and brittle. It is also a tyrant over them and will hardly be separated from them.

[John Weaver] Hereby I figure your most noted, rooted, and inveterate sins." So God says, the heat and the fire of my judgments will purify and purge you from this cross. When God restores and rejuvenates and revives and removes the impurities that would destroy us, At the same time, he destroys his enemies. And then he gives us that which we need. Look in verse 26. Follow this now. Look in verse 24.

[John Weaver] He said, I'm going to ease myself of my adversaries. Verse 25, he tells you how he's going to do it.

[John Weaver] Now in verse 26, after he does it, he said, and I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counselors as at the beginning. Afterwards thou shalt be called the city of righteousness, the fateful city." So here's a question. Why do we need new judges and counselors? Well, look back at verse 23. Here it is. Thy princes are rebellious and companions of thieves. Everyone liveth gifts and followeth after rewards.

[John Weaver] That almost sounds like Congress, doesn't it? Yeah. They judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them. In other words, they're really not interested in justice. They're interested in perpetuating themselves and their own party and their own plans, and that's about it. So he says, yeah, you need new counselors. You need new judges. That is for sure. Let me point something out.

[John Weaver] I do not think the average Christian has ever really perceived, understood, and comprehended the influence of wicked, ungodly, reprobate rulers. By the same token most Christians have never really perceived, understood, and comprehended the influence of godly, righteous rulers. In fact we haven't had one in so long we probably be hard to recognize one when we saw one. But let me throw this out for your consideration. When you read through the Bible, take note of this fact that every major idolatry, every major idolatry in the Bible was begun by a wicked civil ruler. Cherubim, Manasseh, even Solomon. You say Solomon was a good man, he was until you get to 1 Kings chapter 11 and he is the one that introduced Baal worship, and Moloch worship and all of this into the children of Israel.

[John Weaver] Built altars for Asherah for all of his strange gods, and his strange wives. Yeah. And then you have to note this, every major revival in the Bible took place under a godly Josiah, Hezekiah, Uzziah. The point I'm trying to make is we've not really comprehended how wicked rulers influence a people and how godly rulers influence a people. And this is why God says I'm going to restore your judges as at the first and your counselors as at the beginning.

[John Weaver] I want you to listen to this. I'm going to show it to you from the Bible just momentarily. But the destruction of the wicked is needed and necessary for the establishment of the righteous. Look in verse 27 and let's read through verse 31. Put it together. He says in verse 27, Zion shall be redeemed with judgment. and are converts with righteousness." Well what is going to happen when Zion is redeemed with judgments and are converts with righteousness? Here it is, and the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together. In other words it is going to happen at the same time, and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed And they shall be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired, that's idolatry. And you shall be confounded for the gardens, that's idolatry, that you have chosen.

[John Weaver] For you shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, you'll be dead. And as a garden that hath no water, you'll be dead. And the strong shall be as a toe, and the maker of it as a spark. And they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them." So what is God saying? When He redeems Zion with judgments and her converts with righteousness, He's going to destroy So the question has to be asked, is this just something that Isaiah came up with, or is this clearly taught in the Bible? And the answer is, it's taught over and over and over in the Bible.

[John Weaver] Because idolatry, sin, wickedness, and rebellion must be dealt with. It must be rooted out. and it must be destroyed. Let me show you something. Turn to Psalm 34. Just turn there. But as you turn there, turn right over to Jeremiah. Turn right over to Jeremiah before we go to Psalm 34. I want you to look at something. Look in Jeremiah chapter 1. I believe it is. Let me check it out. Because God calls Jeremiah to be a prophet.

[John Weaver] Let me see what I'm trying to get the right verse here. Okay. Yeah, verse 10. Look what God says concerning Jeremiah. See I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms to root out, to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build and plant. He has to do three times as much destroying as he does building and planting. You can't build and plant on a bad foundation or a bad soil.

[John Weaver] It has to be torn down. So with that in mind go back in your Bibles to Psalm 34 and let me show you a number of verses of what the scripture says concerning the wicked. And it doesn't matter if we are talking about the heathen or the pagan or the religious wicked or the hypocritical wicked. Notice if you would Psalm 34 and verse 21. Psalm 34 verse 21 evil Shall slay the wicked and they that hate the righteous shall be destroyed or desolate So evil shall slay the wicked and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate Turn right over to Psalm 37 and look at verse 10 Psalm 37 verse 10 He says forget a little while and the wicked shall not be Ye, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be.

[John Weaver] But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." Hmm. By the way, I know I've told you this before, but I want to tell it to you again. The meek here, the word meek, especially as it's used in the New Testament, does not mean a wimp. It does not mean someone who lets you use them as a foot mat and wipe your feet all over them. The word meek does not refer to a 90 pound weakling. The word meek refers to those that are broken to yoke, those who have been submitted and in submission to God, who obey Him and follow His law. So, he says the wicked are going to be destroyed, but the meek, that is those who have been broken to yoke, they are going to inherit the Look if you would please in verse 17 Psalm 37 verse 17 the arms of the wicked shall be broken But the Lord uphold it the righteous now your arms speak of your power Your ability so God says I'm gonna break their power and will break their arms But the Lord's gonna uphold the righteous skip down to verse 20 but the wicked shall perish and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs and consume into

[John Weaver] the smoke they shall consume away." Verse 28, For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints. They are preserved forever, but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off. Verse 38, But the transgressors shall be destroyed together, the end of the wicked shall be cut off. Turn right over to Psalm 92 and verse 7. Psalm 92 and verse 7. I could multiply scriptures, but you're getting the idea, I hope. But look in Psalm 92 and verse 7. Here's what God says. Psalm 92 verse 7. When the wicked spring is the grass, they come up quickly.

[John Weaver] And when the workers of iniquity flourish, boy, how they grow. It is that they shall be destroyed forever. God says they spring up, they flourish just to be cut down. When you look at Isaiah chapter 1 and God says in verse 27, Zion shall be redeemed with judgment and her converts with righteousness. You're going to hear people say something like this. I don't like to hear about judgment. I don't like that idea. I don't like to talk about that, even Christian people. Like that's a big no-no. And I've heard some to try to be very pious and they would say, well, I just want the Lord to come back and that'll take care of it. Really? That's true. But I want you to turn in your Bibles the second Thessalonians chapter 1, and let me show you what's going to happen when our Lord does return. 2 Thessalonians chapter 1, and let's begin reading there with verse 7. So when you say, I'm just waiting for the Lord, or I want the Lord to come back, He's going to take care of this, that's true, He shall, but look what's going to happen.

[John Weaver] 2 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 7, Paul writes, and to you who are troubled, rest with us. when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from Heaven with His mighty angels in flaming fire, taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ, who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of His power, when He shall come to be glorified in His saints, and to be admired in all them that believe, because our testimony among you was believed in that day." What is our Lord going to do when He returns? He's going to come back in judgment. He's going to destroy the wicked. You cannot have judgment without redemption or redemption without judgment. When He destroys the wicked, it is the redemption of His people. Judgment and redemption go together. You cannot have one without the other.

[John Weaver] Stop and think about this. When God delivered Noah and his family, he judged and destroyed the old world. When God delivered the Israelites from bondage, he judged and destroyed Egypt. When God delivered the land of Canaan into the hands of the Israelites, he judged and destroyed the Canaanites. The greatest proof of this truth is found in the Lord Jesus Christ. When God the Father delivered us from our sins, when He redeemed us, it was because His judgment fell upon His Son, who is our surety, our substitute, and our sacrifice. Let me show you.

[John Weaver] I want you to look in your Bibles, if you would, first of all, to 1 Peter chapter 1. 1st Peter chapter 1 and let's begin reading there with verse 8 18 it is 1st Peter chapter 1 verse 18 Look what he says 1st Peter 1 verse 18 1st Peter 1 verse 18 Forasmuch as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot, who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, was manifest in these last times for you." Note, we were redeemed not with silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ. as of a lamb without blemish, without spot." Now if you will turn to the book of Romans chapter 3, Romans chapter 3, and look if you would please at verses 24 through 26. Romans 3 verse 24, Romans 3 verse 24, look what he says, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in His blood, to declare His righteousness for the remission of sins that are passed through the forbearance

[John Weaver] of God, to declare, I say at this time, his righteousness, that he might be just, and the justifier of him that which believeth in Jesus." Now go back to verse 25, whom God has set forth to be a propitiation. The word propitiation literally means to appease, to placate, to satisfy. Do you realize that Jesus Christ our sacrifice appeased and placated and satisfied the holiness the righteousness and the justice of God because God's wrath fell upon him instead of falling upon us When we were redeemed It was through judgment You cannot have Redemption without judgment if you will look in your Bibles to 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 and 2nd Corinthians chapter 5 and look at verse 21. You will see it again 2nd Corinthians 5 verse 21 Look what the Bible says 2nd Corinthians 5 verse 21 For he that is God the Father hath made him that is God the Son to be sin for us Who knew no sin? that we might be made the righteousness of God in Him. We were made righteous because He was judged in our stead.

[John Weaver] We were redeemed through judgment. I believe that when God graciously turns Himself to us and He turns us to Himself, it will be through judgment. He says, shall be redeemed through judgment."

[John Weaver] Now, let me make some applications, and I want you to listen to this first one very closely. Okay? Here we go. You got your seatbelts tightened. Here we go. Judgment is not our enemy. It is our friend. Judgment is not our enemy, it is our friend. It is by means of judgment that the wicked are purged. And it's by means of judgment that we are refined. You know what David said in Psalm 119 verse 67, listen.

[John Weaver] He said, before I was afflicted, I went astray. But now have I kept thy word. Before I was afflicted, I went astray. The Lord's Lord, you whipped me, and I learned something." See, we can identify with this, especially the older ones, because when we were children and we did wrong, you know what our dad did to us? He wore us out. And we learned When he spoke, we obeyed. And when he told us not to do something, we found out we better not do it. David said, it was good for me that I've been afflicted.

[John Weaver] Psalm 119 verse 71, let me say it again. He said, it is good for me that I've been afflicted.

[John Weaver] Now he said that I might learn thy statutes. He said, you whipped me really good and I learned your statutes. I'll learn to walk. You know, You can tell someone something, and they can sit there and shake their head and say, yes, I understand. I grasp it. And then they go away and forget it. But you let them learn the hard way through experience, and you let it cost them in some measure, in some way, and they never forget it.

[John Weaver] Judgment is not our enemy. Judgment is our friend. Secondly, if you understand that God uses judgment in reviving and in restoring His people, it should make us live more holily and more righteously. How so? Well, if I know that God uses judgment, I don't want to be judged. I don't want to do anything that's going to bring His wrath, His anger upon me. I do not want His rod across my back."

[John Weaver] In other words, we said it like this when we were children. We don't want another whooping. A whooping. That's what it was called. Instead of a whipping, it was called a whooping. We don't want one. And the interesting thing is this, when you study, and you read Hebrews chapter 12, the Bible tells us that,"...he scourgeth every son whom he receiveth."

[John Weaver] Now if you endure chastening, God will deal with these sons for what sons of whom the father chastened not. Then he says this,"...now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous. Nevertheless, afterwards It yielded the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them that are exercised thereby." In other words, God's judgments, God's chastisements, God's weapons always work. They always work. And if we don't want any of them, we just need to learn to do what's right and obey and please our Heavenly Father. It's just that simple.

[John Weaver] So if we understand this principle, it should make us more holy and should make us more godly. The third application is this. It is a righteous and holy prayer to pray for the destruction of God's enemies and the elevation of God's people. Here's a scripture that I usually pray every day. Psalm 7, verse 9. Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end. but establish thou the just. For the righteous God trieth the hearts and the reins." Just stop and think about it. Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end. God, stop it. Judge it. Destroy it. Let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish thou the righteous. Jesus Christ is called the righteous one.

[John Weaver] I certainly want to see His throne established. I want to see His kingdom established. I want to see His people established. So it's a righteous thing to pray, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish thou the just, and usually God will do so through judgment, because redemption and judgment go together. Zion shall be redeemed with judgment. And when God's judgments are in the earth, the righteous will learn and pay attention and become more righteous and more obedient.

[John Weaver] Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to thee. We thank you for your word. We thank you for your truth. We thank you for your righteousness, Lord, and the fact that you do indeed judge us and judge others as well. And we pray, Father, that you'd help us to be more holy and be more godly. And, Father, we do pray, as you've taught us in your Word, oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish thou the just, for the righteous Lord trieth the hearts and the reins. We ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, in whose name we pray, amen. you

Judgment and Redemption

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	vkOkTDhrKZ4
Subject	Covenant Theology
Course	Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: Promises Of The Law
Genre	Sermon
Date	2017-10-03
Dictation Name
Book	Book 042: Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: God's Answer to America's Problems — Chapter 27
Source Timed Segments	71

Formatted Transcript

Opening

Chapter 1, and we're going to be reading verses 21 through 31. Isaiah chapter 1, verses 21 through 31. The title of the message is "Judgment and Redemption." Judgment and redemption. So Isaiah chapter 1 and verse 21:

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 1:21-31

"How is the faithful city become a harlot? It was full of judgment. Righteousness lodged in it, but now murderers. Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water. Thy princes are rebellious and companions of thieves." "Everyone loveth gifts and followeth after rewards. They judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come before them. Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty one of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies. And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin. And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counselors as at the beginning." "Afterwards thou shalt be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city. Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness. And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed. For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired, and you shall be confounded for the gardens that you have chosen. For you shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water."

Introduction: The Uncommon Pairing of Judgment and Redemption

Weaver notes that Christians typically separate judgment and redemption, but the Bible joins them, as seen in Isaiah 1:27.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 1:21-31

"And the strong shall be as a tow, and the maker thereof as a spark. And they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them."

When you talk about judgment and redemption, the average Christian does not associate judgment and redemption. We either think of judgment or we think of redemption, but usually we do not think of them together. And usually in this day and time when redemption is mentioned, someone merely thinks of an item that has been pawned and then purchased back. When you go to the pawn shop, the item is pawned, money is borrowed, and later the money is brought back plus interest, and the item that was pawned then is said to be redeemed. There was no judgment involved, with the exception of the interest sometimes exorbitant, but everything was restored as it was previously. But when the Bible speaks about judgment and redemption, it speaks in different language. Biblically speaking, judgment and redemption go together.

The Hebrew Word 'Padah' and Its Two Senses

The word translated 'redeemed' can mean deliverance without ransom (Genesis 14, 37) or with a ransom price (Hosea 3).

It always carries, however, the idea of deliverance as from captivity, danger, punishment, slavery, and sin. So sometimes this word is used in reference to what you and I would call a deliverance or a rescue without a ransom being involved. But secondly, it is used oftentimes where there is a rescue or deliverance and a ransom price is paid. So let me give you the two illustrations, first of all, where it is used and just simply translated as "delivered."

So if you look in your Bibles to Genesis chapter 14, holding Isaiah chapter 1, in Genesis chapter 14 everyone knows the story how Abraham rescued his nephew Lot. And the Bible says in Genesis chapter 14, beginning there with verse 18 after the rescue, the Bible says,

Scripture Reading — Genesis 14:18-20

"And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered"

—there is the same word—

Scripture Reading — Genesis 14:18-20

"delivered thine enemies into thine hand."

And he gave him tithes of all. So in this instance the Hebrew word "padah" is translated simply as "delivered." Then if you will look in Genesis chapter 37 and verse 21, you will remember how that Joseph has been taken, cast into a pit, and his brothers are considering murdering him. But of course Reuben wants to deliver him, and the Bible says in Genesis 37 and verse 21, "And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him."

So the word "delivered" there is the same Hebrew word "padah." Now in each of these instances, the word, of course, is rightly translated as "delivered," because there was no ransom paid. Abraham destroyed his enemies without a ransom price. And, of course, Reuben delivered Joseph without a ransom price. But if you will turn in your Bibles to the book of Hosea, right after the book of Daniel, I will show you how the word is used again, this time with a ransom price. So notice in Hosea chapter 1. In Hosea 1, verses 2 and 3, God instructs Hosea to go marry an impure woman. And of course He instructs him to do this, number one, to show what Israel has done to God, and number two, to show the great love that God still has for His people. So in Hosea 1, verse 2, "The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea. And the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms, and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord."

Scripture Reading — Hosea 1:2-3

"So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son."

Now if you read on down you are going to find that he and Gomer had several children as well. But when you look in Hosea chapter 3, Gomer has left him. She's committed adultery. She ends up in the slave market. And Hosea goes and buys her back, or redeems her. So Hosea 3, beginning there with verse 1, "Then said the Lord unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine." "So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and for an half homer of barley: And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee." So you might as well say it very plainly, Gomer was redeemed; she was bought back out of the slave market.

So here is a picture then of redemption where a price is paid. Normally one would not concede a judgment in this instance unless it was upon the one who did the purchasing, because obviously it did cost Hosea something. Many of you know that William Booth was the founder of the Salvation Army. What you probably do not know is that William Booth and his wife also purchased people who were being sold as slaves; they redeemed them in order that they might free them.

The Condition of Judah and Jerusalem

Isaiah 1:2-15 describes Judah as rebellious, corrupt, and unresponsive to correction, yet still performing empty rituals.

Now, very quickly, verses 2 through 15 give us an overview of the situation. And you've got to understand this overview in order to see the truth that's going to be enunciated in verse 27 just shortly. We're going to work our way there. But I want you to see how God describes Judah and Jerusalem as rebellious children. Look in verse 2, He says, "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me." So Judah and Jerusalem are called rebellious children. In fact their sin has basically made them dumber than an animal. For verse 3 the Bible says, "The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider." They did not know which side their bread was buttered upon, and who buttered that bread. They were just as ignorant as they could be. Verse 4 identifies Judah and Jerusalem for what they actually were. He says, "Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward." Kind of reminds you of what is going on in America today and how it could aptly describe us as well. But verse 5 reveals another truth, that these people would not receive correction, they would not receive chastisement. Look in verse 5, "Why should ye be stricken any more?"

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 1:2-15

"Ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint."

And then of course verse 6 shows you how absolutely perverted, depraved, and debauched they were as a nation. He says,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 1:2-15

"From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment."

And the interesting thing is this, verses 7 and 8 now show us the result that sin and that rebellion and that depravity have upon a nation, a society, and a culture. So look in verse 7, he says,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 1:2-15

"Your country is desolate." "Your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers."

That's us. Watch verse 8,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 1:2-15

"And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city."

In other words you've got just a little space, not much; everything else is besieged and everything else is basically destroyed. To show you the absolute extent of the corruption Isaiah says this in verse 9,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 1:2-15

"Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah."

So he says God would have been just to have destroyed all of us, but He did indeed leave us a remnant. Now I want you to look at verse 10, because remember in verse 10 God is addressing Judah and Jerusalem. And look what He says,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 1:2-15

"Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah."

So he is calling the rulers, the rulers of Sodom.

And he is calling the people, the people of Gomorrah. They were so totally, absolutely corrupt, and of course God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah. Now to show you the wickedness of the people I want you to look at verses 11-15. Because these people, although they were the enemies of God, they were sinful and wicked and rebellious, they still continued to observe the ceremonies and the sacrifices which God would not acknowledge and God would not accept. So look in verse 11. He asked, "To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord." "I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting."

"Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood." So you have to stop and ask this question, did not God appoint those feasts and the solemn days and the new moons and the Sabbaths? Of course He did. But these people had turned all of these things into ceremonies and rituals and their lives were absolutely opposite of what God demanded. And God said, I am not going to have that. Now the interesting thing is when you look in verses 16-20, what God does is He now tries to reason with an unreasonable people. Look at what He says in verse 16: "Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well."

God's Reasoning and the Depths of Apostasy

God calls the rulers 'rulers of Sodom' and the people 'people of Gomorrah,' highlighting their total corruption.

"Seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it." Now, the interesting thing is this. He asked the people to reason with him, and when you look back in verse 5, he asks, "Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint." Usually, a people who ignore the rod will not listen to reason, will not listen to logic, and will not listen to argument. And so he says, I've tried the rod, that didn't work. I'll try reasoning, it won't work either probably, but if you are willing and obedient you shall eat of the good of the land.

If you refuse and rebel you'll die, it's just that simple. Now, to show you the depths of how far Judah and Jerusalem had fallen, I want you to look at verse 21: "How is the faithful city become a harlot? It was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers." You see, Jerusalem was once faithful, pure, righteous, and obedient. And now God says it is a harlot. It's full of injustice, murder, fraud, deceit, graft, materialistic, unconcerned, and uncompassionate. The poor, the widow, the fatherless, the homeless, did not matter to any of these people. Their attitude was much like the attitude of today of individuals when they say, "I'm looking out for number one. It doesn't really bother me about all these other people. I'm just looking out for myself." And so God calls Jerusalem now basically a harlot. He says they are full of injustice, unrighteousness, and murder.

Pretty well sums up Chicago and Washington, D.C. as well, as well as a lot of other states. Now, undoubtedly, there were some righteous people left in Judah and Jerusalem. God always has a remnant. You remember in the days of Elijah? When Elijah said, "They've torn down thine altars, and they've destroyed your prophets," etc., God told Elijah, "I've got 7,000 that have never bowed the knee to Baal."

Judgment as the Means of Redemption

Isaiah 1:27 declares Zion shall be redeemed with judgment; historical examples show God sent judgment, not revival, to deal with sin.

But here's an observation, and I want you to follow this observation in light of what I'm going to be showing you from the scripture momentarily. In Elijah's time, God did not send a revival. He sent judgment. He sent a drought, a famine, and death. In Ezekiel's time, God did not send a revival. He sent the Babylonian army, and famine, death, and captivity. In each of these instances God sent judgment. Now, I want you to look down to verse 27. Look at it. We're going to come back. But look at verse 27. God says, "Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness." Hmm. "Zion shall be redeemed with judgment." Do you realize we are not going to escape the consequences of our sins? We're not going to escape the consequences of our sins. God may deliver us, but it may be through judgment. Moreover, if you look in verse 27, He says, "Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness."

In other words, those who turn to the Lord, or those who are spared, will be made absolutely righteous. That is, they will be walking in obedience according to God and His Law. They will walk according to His Word. Now, I want to call your attention to the fact that he keeps saying, "Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts." In other words, there's going to be some who are going to be made righteous. I want you to turn in your Bibles, hold Isaiah 1, but look in Isaiah 26. Begin reading there with verse 8. Isaiah 26 and verse 8. Look what Isaiah writes. We'll read through verse 12, then we're going to go back to Isaiah 1. But look at Isaiah 26, verse 8.

Judgments Teach Righteousness

Isaiah 26:8-10 teaches that when God's judgments are in the earth, some inhabitants learn righteousness, though the wicked do not.

"Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee." Stop right there. "Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee." Why are they desiring his name and desiring to remember him? Because of his judgments. Now watch verse 9. "With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness."

Now not all of them, but some are going to. Watch if you would please verse 10.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 26:8-12

"Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. Lord, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them." "Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us."

So interestingly, he says in verse 9, the latter part,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 26:8-12

"for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness."

What inhabitants? Well, he's not talking about the wicked because he said in verse 10,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 26:8-12

"let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord."

There are going to be some that will learn righteousness. If you will look back in Isaiah 1 and verse 24, what is going to happen to those who will not learn righteousness, who will not obey, and will not walk according to the Word of God? Look in verse 24.

"Therefore thus saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies." Hmm, that's interesting. God says in verse 24 that he's going to ease himself of his adversaries and avenge himself of his enemies. Here's a question for you. In the context, who are his enemies and who are his adversaries? We're not talking about pagan people. We're not talking about the heathens. We're talking about Judah and Jerusalem. We're talking about His professing people. We're talking about a people who claim to be in covenant with Him.

God's Enemies Are His Professing People

God vows to ease Himself of His adversaries—Judah and Jerusalem—by purging dross and restoring righteous judges.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 26:8-12

"Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us."

So interestingly, he says in verse 9, the latter part,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 26:8-12

"for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness."

What inhabitants? Well, he's not talking about the wicked because he said in verse 10,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 26:8-12

"let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord."

They were not in reality. That's why He was rejecting all of their worship and would have received none of their oblations and none of their sacrifices, because they were absolutely wicked and contrary to Him. But God is saying that these adversaries and these enemies are people in His own nation, in His own group. The interesting thing is this, Isaiah 1 shows you how pained and grieved God was because of their sins and rebellions. His patience had been put to the utmost trial, and now God says, "I'm going to ease myself. I'm going to take care of this. I'm going to destroy my enemies." I want you to hold Isaiah 1, but look in your Bibles to the book of Ezekiel chapter 5 and verse 13. Here's another similar expression, where God is going to bring judgment upon the people. Notice Ezekiel chapter 5 and verse 13. God says it like this, "Thus shall mine anger be accomplished, and I will cause my fury to rest upon them, and I will be comforted: and they shall know that I the Lord have spoken it in my zeal, when I have accomplished my fury in them."

Was God comforted by accomplishing His fury upon these people who were so wicked, who were so depraved? You know it was Moses who gave us this same truth in Deuteronomy 28 and verse 63 when he said, "And it shall come to pass, that as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought." In other words if you disobey Him. So God is calling it an easement when He destroys His enemy. It's a comfort when He destroys His enemy. It's a rejoicing when He destroys His enemies. And the enemies happen to be His own people. If you would turn right over to Isaiah 63 and look at verse 10. In fact, let's read verse 9 just so you can see we're still talking about Judah and Jerusalem, okay? Look at Isaiah 63 beginning there in verse 9. Look at it. Isaiah 63, verse 9.

"In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them." So here's the people that he brought out of the land that rebelled against him, and now he's turned to be their enemy, and now he's fighting against them. That's why he said in verse 24, "Therefore thus saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies," which happen to be in his own land. Look at verse 25, how will God do that?

He said, "And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin." Now when He says, "I will turn my hand," or "I will stretch out my hand," you have to understand that the turning of the hand, or the outstretching of the hand can either be for affliction, punishment, or it can be for deliverance and salvation. So I can stretch out my hand like this and it would hurt, or I could stretch out my hand like this and take your hand and help deliver you. So which is it? The answer is it's both, because God is going to turn his hand against his enemies and at the same time He's going to save his people. So the adversaries here were his own professing people.

Have you ever stopped to think about this? It's kind of like America. We, in this day and time, have betrayed our founding fathers' principles upon which they built this nation. We have also turned our backs upon and betrayed the God who gave us this nation. And what did Judah and Jerusalem do? They betrayed the founding principles and they also betrayed the God who gave them that nation.

Now God says, "I'm going to straighten things out." When he says in verse 25, "and I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross," the verse refers to the process of smelting or purifying metals in the fire. It means that God would remove all the dross, that is all the sin, the filth that has been accumulated. Look back if you would in verse 22. He said, "Thy silver is become dross." In other words, there's no purity. It's adulterated. It's watered down. It's weakened. It's not what it was supposed to be. And smelting is commonly done by fire. And the idea that God is presenting in verse 25 is simply that he would render his own people pure by those judgments which would destroy his enemies who were intermingled with his people. Wow. Now, he said in verse 25, "and I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin."

John Trapp, the old Puritan, rightly said it, that the tin compares to their hypocrisy. Here's what he said: "Thine hypocrisy, for tin hath a show of silver." That is, it looks like it. It's the same color. But it is not so. Nay, it is a deadly enemy to gold and silver, saith one, making them hard and brittle. It is also a tyrant over them and will hardly be separated from them. "Hereby I figure your most noted, rooted, and inveterate sins." So God says, the heat and the fire of my judgments will purify and purge you from this dross. When God restores and rejuvenates and revives and removes the impurities that would destroy us, at the same time, he destroys his enemies. And then he gives us that which we need. Look in verse 26. Follow this now. Look in verse 24.

He said, "I'm going to ease myself of my adversaries." Verse 25, he tells you how he's going to do it. Now in verse 26, after he does it, he said, "And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city." So here's a question. Why do we need new judges and counselors? Well, look back at verse 23. Here it is: "Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards." That almost sounds like Congress, doesn't it? Yeah. "They judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them." In other words, they're really not interested in justice. They're interested in perpetuating themselves and their own party and their own plans, and that's about it. So he says, yeah, you need new counselors. You need new judges. That is for sure. Let me point something out.

The Destruction of the Wicked and Establishment of the Righteous

Verses 27-31 show that the destruction of transgressors accompanies Zion's redemption; this pattern is seen throughout Scripture.

I want you to listen to this. I'm going to show it to you from the Bible just momentarily. But the destruction of the wicked is needed and necessary for the establishment of the righteous. Look in verse 27 and let's read through verse 31. Put it together. He says in verse 27, "Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness." Well what is going to happen when Zion is redeemed with judgments and her converts with righteousness? Here it is, "And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together." In other words it is going to happen at the same time, "and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed. And they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired," that's idolatry, "and ye shall be confounded for the gardens," that's idolatry, "that ye have chosen."

"For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth," you'll be dead, "and as a garden that hath no water," you'll be dead. "And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them." So what is God saying? When He redeems Zion with judgments and her converts with righteousness, He's going to destroy the wicked. So the question has to be asked, is this just something that Isaiah came up with, or is this clearly taught in the Bible? And the answer is, it's taught over and over and over in the Bible. Because idolatry, sin, wickedness, and rebellion must be dealt with. It must be rooted out, and it must be destroyed. Let me show you something. Turn to Psalm 34. Just turn there. But as you turn there, turn right over to Jeremiah. Turn right over to Jeremiah before we go to Psalm 34. I want you to look at something. Look in Jeremiah chapter 1. I believe it is. Let me check it out. Because God calls Jeremiah to be a prophet.

Let me see what I'm trying to get the right verse here. Okay. Yeah, verse 10. Look what God says concerning Jeremiah.

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 1:10

"See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant."

He has to do three times as much destroying as he does building and planting. You can't build and plant on a bad foundation or a bad soil. It has to be torn down. So with that in mind go back in your Bibles to Psalm 34 and let me show you a number of verses of what the scripture says concerning the wicked. And it doesn't matter if we are talking about the heathen or the pagan or the religious wicked or the hypocritical wicked. Notice if you would Psalm 34 and verse 21. Psalm 34 verse 21: "Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate." So evil shall slay the wicked and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate. Turn right over to Psalm 37 and look at verse 10. Psalm 37 verse 10: "For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be."

The Cross: The Ultimate Proof of Redemption Through Judgment

Christ's substitutionary death demonstrates that redemption comes through judgment, as God's wrath fell on Him to justify believers.

I want you to look in your Bibles, if you would, first of all, to 1 Peter chapter 1. 1 Peter chapter 1 and let's begin reading there with verse 18. It is 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 18. Look what he says. 1 Peter 1 verse 18:

Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 1:18-20

"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you."

Note, we were redeemed not with silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish, without spot. Now if you will turn to the book of Romans chapter 3, Romans chapter 3, and look if you would please at verses 24 through 26. Romans 3 verse 24: "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;"

"to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." Now go back to verse 25, "whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation." The word propitiation literally means to appease, to placate, to satisfy. Do you realize that Jesus Christ our sacrifice appeased and placated and satisfied the holiness, the righteousness, and the justice of God because God's wrath fell upon him instead of falling upon us? When we were redeemed, it was through judgment. You cannot have redemption without judgment. If you will look in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and look at verse 21, you will see it again. 2 Corinthians 5 verse 21: "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." We were made righteous because He was judged in our stead.

We were redeemed through judgment. I believe that when God graciously turns Himself to us and He turns us to Himself, it will be through judgment. He says, "Zion shall be redeemed through judgment."

Applications: Judgment as Friend, Call to Holiness, and Righteous Prayer

Judgment refines believers; understanding this should promote holy living; praying for the end of wickedness is biblical.

Now, let me make some applications, and I want you to listen to this first one very closely. Okay? Here we go. You got your seatbelts tightened. Here we go. Judgment is not our enemy. It is our friend. Judgment is not our enemy, it is our friend. It is by means of judgment that the wicked are purged. And it's by means of judgment that we are refined. You know what David said in Psalm 119 verse 67, listen.

He said, "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word." Before I was afflicted, I went astray. The Lord's saying, "Lord, you whipped me, and I learned something." See, we can identify with this, especially the older ones, because when we were children and we did wrong, you know what our dad did to us? He wore us out. And we learned. When he spoke, we obeyed. And when he told us not to do something, we found out we better not do it. David said, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted."

Psalm 119 verse 71, let me say it again. He said, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted." Now he said, "that I might learn thy statutes." He said, "You whipped me really good and I learned your statutes. I'll learn to walk." You know, you can tell someone something, and they can sit there and shake their head and say, "Yes, I understand. I grasp it." And then they go away and forget it. But you let them learn the hard way through experience, and you let it cost them in some measure, in some way, and they never forget it. Judgment is not our enemy. Judgment is our friend. Secondly, if you understand that God uses judgment in reviving and in restoring His people, it should make us live more holily and more righteously. How so? Well, if I know that God uses judgment, I don't want to be judged. I don't want to do anything that's going to bring His wrath, His anger upon me. I do not want His rod across my back.

In other words, we said it like this when we were children: "We don't want another whipping." A whipping. That's what it was called. Instead of a whipping, it was called a whipping. We don't want one. And the interesting thing is this, when you study, and you read Hebrews chapter 12, the Bible tells us that, "he scourgeth every son whom he receiveth."

Now if you endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? Then he says this, "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." In other words, God's judgments, God's chastisements, God's weapons always work. They always work. And if we don't want any of them, we just need to learn to do what's right and obey and please our Heavenly Father. It's just that simple.

So if we understand this principle, it should make us more holy and should make us more godly. The third application is this. It is a righteous and holy prayer to pray for the destruction of God's enemies and the elevation of God's people. Here's a scripture that I usually pray every day. Psalm 7, verse 9: "Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins." Just stop and think about it. "Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end." God, stop it. Judge it. Destroy it. Let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish thou the righteous. Jesus Christ is called the righteous one.

I certainly want to see His throne established. I want to see His kingdom established. I want to see His people established. So it's a righteous thing to pray, "Let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish thou the just," and usually God will do so through judgment, because redemption and judgment go together. Zion shall be redeemed with judgment. And when God's judgments are in the earth, the righteous will learn and pay attention and become more righteous and more obedient.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Inseparability of Judgment and Redemption

Summary: Biblical redemption cannot occur without judgment; they are two sides of the same divine act.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'Zion shall be redeemed with judgment' (Isaiah 1:27) and argues from Scripture that 'it's almost impossible to have one without the other.'

God's Judgment on His Own Professing People

Summary: God's adversaries in Isaiah 1 are not pagans but the covenant people who have become corrupt.

Evidence: Weaver emphasizes that God says He will ease Himself of His adversaries, referring to Judah and Jerusalem, not heathens.

Purification Through Judgment

Summary: Judgment functions as a refining fire that removes dross (sin) and restores purity to God's people.

Evidence: Isaiah 1:25 speaks of purging dross and taking away tin; Weaver explains this as God removing sin through fiery judgments.

The Cross as Redemption Through Judgment

Summary: Christ's atoning death is the supreme example of redemption accomplished by judgment falling on a substitute.

Evidence: Weaver cites 1 Peter 1:18-19, Romans 3:24-26, and 2 Corinthians 5:21 to show that we were redeemed by Christ's blood, which satisfied God's justice.

The Righteousness of Praying for Judgment on the Wicked

Summary: It is biblical to pray for the destruction of God's enemies and the establishment of the righteous.

Evidence: Weaver quotes Psalm 7:9 and states, 'It is a righteous and holy prayer to pray for the destruction of God's enemies and the elevation of God's people.'

Key Arguments

Redemption Requires Judgment

Summary: Every biblical act of deliverance involved judgment on the oppressors or on a substitute.

Evidence: Weaver lists Noah's flood, the Exodus, the conquest of Canaan, and ultimately Christ's crucifixion as examples.

God's People Can Become His Enemies

Summary: When God's people rebel persistently, He turns to fight against them as adversaries.

Evidence: Isaiah 63:10 is cited: 'they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy.'

Judgment Teaches Righteousness

Summary: God's judgments in the earth cause some to learn righteousness, though the wicked remain unresponsive.

Evidence: Isaiah 26:9-10 is quoted: 'when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.'

Wicked Rulers Corrupt a Nation; Godly Rulers Foster Revival

Summary: Major idolatries were introduced by wicked rulers, while major revivals occurred under godly rulers.

Evidence: Weaver cites Jeroboam, Manasseh, Solomon for idolatry; Josiah, Hezekiah, Uzziah for revival.

The Destruction of the Wicked Is Necessary for the Righteous to Flourish

Summary: God's promise to restore judges and counselors follows the purging of dross, indicating that the wicked must be removed.

Evidence: Isaiah 1:26-28 shows restoration after judgment; Weaver states, 'the destruction of the wicked is needed and necessary for the establishment of the righteous.'

Scripture References

Isaiah 1:21-31

Context: The primary text of the sermon, describing Jerusalem's harlotry, God's purging judgment, and the promise of redemption with judgment.

Genesis 14:18-20

Context: Example of 'padah' used as deliverance without ransom when Abraham rescued Lot.

Genesis 37:21

Context: Reuben delivered Joseph from his brothers, another instance of 'padah' without a ransom price.

Hosea 1:2-3

Context: God commands Hosea to marry an impure woman to illustrate Israel's unfaithfulness.

Hosea 3:1-3

Context: Hosea redeems Gomer from the slave market, illustrating redemption with a price.

Isaiah 1:1

Context: Identifies the audience as Judah and Jerusalem during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.

Isaiah 1:2-15

Context: Overview of Judah's rebellion, corruption, and empty worship.

Isaiah 1:16-20

Context: God's call to reason, wash, and obey, with promises of blessing or destruction.

Isaiah 26:8-12

Context: The righteous wait for God's judgments, which teach the inhabitants of the world righteousness.

Ezekiel 5:13

Context: God says He will be comforted when His fury is accomplished upon the wicked.

Deuteronomy 28:63

Context: As the Lord rejoiced to do good, so He will rejoice to destroy the disobedient.

Isaiah 63:9-10

Context: God redeemed Israel but they rebelled, so He turned to be their enemy and fought against them.

Jeremiah 1:10

Context: Jeremiah's commission to root out, pull down, destroy, and then build and plant.

Psalm 34:21

Context: Evil shall slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous shall be desolate.

Psalm 37:10, 17, 20, 28, 38

Context: The wicked will be cut off and destroyed, but the meek shall inherit the earth.

Psalm 92:7

Context: The wicked spring up like grass only to be destroyed forever.

2 Thessalonians 1:7-10

Context: Christ's return in flaming fire to take vengeance on those who do not know God.

1 Peter 1:18-20

Context: We were redeemed not with silver and gold but with the precious blood of Christ.

Romans 3:24-26

Context: Christ is set forth as a propitiation to declare God's righteousness in justifying believers.

2 Corinthians 5:21

Context: God made Christ sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Historical References

William Booth and the Salvation Army

Context: Booth and his wife purchased people sold as slaves to free them, illustrating redemption with a price.

Modern-day slavery and redemption

Context: Weaver notes that people are still being redeemed from slavery today, suggesting an internet search.

Elijah's remnant of 7,000

Context: In Elijah's day, God had a remnant who had not bowed to Baal, yet God sent judgment, not revival.

Ezekiel's day and the Babylonian judgment

Context: In Ezekiel's time, God sent the Babylonian army as judgment, not revival.

John Trapp, Puritan commentator

Context: Trapp's comment on 'tin' representing hypocrisy, as tin resembles silver but is a deadly enemy to it.

Jeroboam, Manasseh, Solomon as wicked rulers introducing idolatry

Context: Weaver cites these kings as examples of civil rulers who led Israel into major idolatry.

Josiah, Hezekiah, Uzziah as godly rulers fostering revival

Context: These kings are cited as examples of rulers under whom major revivals occurred.

Important Quotes

Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.

Significance: The central thesis of the sermon, showing the inseparable link between redemption and judgment.

I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies.

Significance: Demonstrates that God's enemies in this context are His own professing people, whom He will judge.

And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin.

Significance: Illustrates the refining purpose of judgment to remove sin and hypocrisy from God's people.

For when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

Significance: Shows that God's judgments have a pedagogical purpose, teaching righteousness to some.

Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.

Significance: Presented as a model prayer, affirming that it is righteous to pray for judgment on the wicked.

Judgment is not our enemy. It is our friend.

Significance: A provocative application that reframes judgment as beneficial for believers' refinement.

Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.

Significance: David's testimony that affliction (judgment) led to obedience, supporting the friendliness of judgment.

Discussion Questions

Why do you think Christians often separate judgment and redemption, and how does Isaiah 1:27 challenge that separation?

Context: Weaver opens by noting that the average Christian does not associate judgment and redemption.

In what ways does the cross of Christ demonstrate that redemption comes through judgment?

Context: Weaver uses 1 Peter 1, Romans 3, and 2 Corinthians 5 to show Christ bore judgment for our redemption.

How should the truth that God sometimes turns against His own professing people affect our self-examination?

Context: Isaiah 63:10 and Isaiah 1:24 show God fighting against rebellious covenant people.

What does it mean for judgment to be a 'friend' to believers, and how have you experienced this?

Context: Weaver states, 'Judgment is not our enemy. It is our friend,' citing Psalm 119:67, 71.

Is it loving to pray for the destruction of the wicked? How does Psalm 7:9 guide such prayers?

Context: Weaver calls it a 'righteous and holy prayer' to pray for the end of wickedness.

How do wicked rulers influence a nation toward idolatry, and what can we learn from the biblical pattern of godly rulers and revival?

Context: Weaver contrasts Jeroboam/Manasseh with Josiah/Hezekiah to show the impact of civil leaders.

Applications

View Judgment as a Friend, Not an Enemy

Summary: Believers should recognize that God's judgments refine and correct them, leading to greater obedience.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'Judgment is not our enemy. It is our friend,' and cites David's words in Psalm 119:67, 71.

Pursue Holiness to Avoid Chastisement

Summary: Understanding that God uses judgment should motivate believers to live righteously and avoid His rod.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'If I know that God uses judgment, I don't want to be judged... I do not want His rod across my back.'

Pray for the End of Wickedness and Establishment of the Righteous

Summary: It is biblical to pray for God to judge the wicked and establish the just, as Psalm 7:9 models.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'It is a righteous and holy prayer to pray for the destruction of God's enemies and the elevation of God's people.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T15:32:22Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T05:06:51Z

Clean Transcript

Judgment and Redemption

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Chapter 1, and we're going to be reading verses 21 through 31. Isaiah chapter 1, verses 21 through 31. The title of the message is "Judgment and Redemption." Judgment and redemption. So Isaiah chapter 1 and verse 21: "How is the faithful city become a harlot? It was full of judgment. Righteousness lodged in it, but now murderers. Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water. Thy princes are rebellious and companions of thieves."
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"Everyone loveth gifts and followeth after rewards. They judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come before them. Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty one of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies. And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin. And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counselors as at the beginning."
#2 | 0:52 to 1:20 | cleaned
"Afterwards thou shalt be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city. Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness. And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed. For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired, and you shall be confounded for the gardens that you have chosen. For you shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water."
#3 | 1:21 to 1:48 | cleaned
"And the strong shall be as a tow, and the maker thereof as a spark. And they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them." When you talk about judgment and redemption, the average Christian does not associate judgment and redemption. We either think of judgment or we think of redemption, but usually we do not think of them together. And usually in this day and time when redemption is mentioned, someone merely thinks of an item that has been pawned and then purchased back. When you go to the pawn shop, the item is pawned, money is borrowed, and later the money is brought back plus interest, and the item that was pawned then is said to be redeemed. There was no judgment involved, with the exception of the interest sometimes exorbitant, but everything was restored as it was previously. But when the Bible speaks about judgment and redemption, it speaks in different language. Biblically speaking, judgment and redemption go together.
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In fact, I'm going to show you later from the Scripture, it's almost impossible to have one without the other. The Bible says in verse 27, and this is the text, "Zion shall be redeemed with judgment." The word "redeemed" in our text is the Hebrew word "padah," which literally means to redeem, to ransom, to rescue, and to deliver. It is translated as "redeemed" 48 times in our Bibles, as well as being translated as "deliver," "ransom," and "rescued." Now the word "redeemed," or the Hebrew word "padah," is actually used in two senses in scriptures.
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It always carries, however, the idea of deliverance as from captivity, danger, punishment, slavery, and sin. So sometimes this word is used in reference to what you and I would call a deliverance or a rescue without a ransom being involved. But secondly, it is used oftentimes where there is a rescue or deliverance and a ransom price is paid. So let me give you the two illustrations, first of all, where it is used and just simply translated as "delivered."
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So if you look in your Bibles to Genesis chapter 14, holding Isaiah chapter 1, in Genesis chapter 14 everyone knows the story how Abraham rescued his nephew Lot. And the Bible says in Genesis chapter 14, beginning there with verse 18 after the rescue, the Bible says, "And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered"—there is the same word—"delivered thine enemies into thine hand." And he gave him tithes of all. So in this instance the Hebrew word "padah" is translated simply as "delivered." Then if you will look in Genesis chapter 37 and verse 21, you will remember how that Joseph has been taken, cast into a pit, and his brothers are considering murdering him. But of course Reuben wants to deliver him, and the Bible says in Genesis 37 and verse 21, "And Reuben heard it, and he delivered him out of their hands; and said, Let us not kill him."
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So the word "delivered" there is the same Hebrew word "padah." Now in each of these instances, the word, of course, is rightly translated as "delivered," because there was no ransom paid. Abraham destroyed his enemies without a ransom price. And, of course, Reuben delivered Joseph without a ransom price. But if you will turn in your Bibles to the book of Hosea, right after the book of Daniel, I will show you how the word is used again, this time with a ransom price. So notice in Hosea chapter 1. In Hosea 1, verses 2 and 3, God instructs Hosea to go marry an impure woman. And of course He instructs him to do this, number one, to show what Israel has done to God, and number two, to show the great love that God still has for His people. So in Hosea 1, verse 2, "The beginning of the word of the Lord by Hosea. And the Lord said to Hosea, Go, take unto thee a wife of whoredoms, and children of whoredoms: for the land hath committed great whoredom, departing from the Lord."
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"So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son." Now if you read on down you are going to find that he and Gomer had several children as well. But when you look in Hosea chapter 3, Gomer has left him. She's committed adultery. She ends up in the slave market. And Hosea goes and buys her back, or redeems her. So Hosea 3, beginning there with verse 1, "Then said the Lord unto me, Go yet, love a woman beloved of her friend, yet an adulteress, according to the love of the Lord toward the children of Israel, who look to other gods, and love flagons of wine."
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"So I bought her to me for fifteen pieces of silver, and for an homer of barley, and for an half homer of barley: And I said unto her, Thou shalt abide for me many days; thou shalt not play the harlot, and thou shalt not be for another man: so will I also be for thee." So you might as well say it very plainly, Gomer was redeemed; she was bought back out of the slave market.
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So here is a picture then of redemption where a price is paid. Normally one would not concede a judgment in this instance unless it was upon the one who did the purchasing, because obviously it did cost Hosea something. Many of you know that William Booth was the founder of the Salvation Army. What you probably do not know is that William Booth and his wife also purchased people who were being sold as slaves; they redeemed them in order that they might free them.
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And incidentally, the same practice is being carried on even today. There are people being sold into slavery in multiple lands, and people are being redeemed out of slavery. If you want to examine this idea, go to your Internet and just simply type in "modern day slavery and redemption." And you will be surprised at how many people are still buying other people back out of slavery. So just simply put in "modern day slavery and redemption" and you will get numerous sites that pop up on the subject.
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Now in the text before us in Isaiah chapter 1, and that is our text. In this text redemption is being accomplished upon a people that had been previously redeemed. And these people are the Judahites, that is they are the people of Judea. They are the people of the southern kingdom. So if you look in Isaiah chapter 1 and verse 1 you will see who is in the context. Watch carefully. Isaiah 1, verse 1: "The vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz, which he saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem in the days of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah." So we are talking about the Judahites, we are talking about the southern kingdom. These are part of the Israelites who had been delivered out of Egypt and now of course they are going to be redeemed again.
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Now, very quickly, verses 2 through 15 give us an overview of the situation. And you've got to understand this overview in order to see the truth that's going to be enunciated in verse 27 just shortly. We're going to work our way there. But I want you to see how God describes Judah and Jerusalem as rebellious children. Look in verse 2, He says, "Hear, O heavens, and give ear, O earth: for the Lord hath spoken, I have nourished and brought up children, and they have rebelled against me." So Judah and Jerusalem are called rebellious children.
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In fact their sin has basically made them dumber than an animal. For verse 3 the Bible says, "The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib: but Israel doth not know, my people doth not consider." They did not know which side their bread was buttered upon, and who buttered that bread. They were just as ignorant as they could be. Verse 4 identifies Judah and Jerusalem for what they actually were. He says, "Ah sinful nation, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers, children that are corrupters: they have forsaken the Lord, they have provoked the Holy One of Israel unto anger, they are gone away backward." Kind of reminds you of what is going on in America today and how it could aptly describe us as well. But verse 5 reveals another truth, that these people would not receive correction, they would not receive chastisement. Look in verse 5, "Why should ye be stricken any more?"
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"Ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint." And then of course verse 6 shows you how absolutely perverted, depraved, and debauched they were as a nation. He says, "From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment." And the interesting thing is this, verses 7 and 8 now show us the result that sin and that rebellion and that depravity have upon a nation, a society, and a culture. So look in verse 7, he says, "Your country is desolate."
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"Your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers." That's us. Watch verse 8, "And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city." In other words you've got just a little space, not much; everything else is besieged and everything else is basically destroyed. To show you the absolute extent of the corruption Isaiah says this in verse 9, "Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah." So he says God would have been just to have destroyed all of us, but He did indeed leave us a remnant. Now I want you to look at verse 10, because remember in verse 10 God is addressing Judah and Jerusalem. And look what He says, "Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah." So he is calling the rulers, the rulers of Sodom.
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And he is calling the people, the people of Gomorrah. They were so totally, absolutely corrupt, and of course God destroyed Sodom and Gomorrah.
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Now to show you the wickedness of the people I want you to look at verses 11-15. Because these people, although they were the enemies of God, they were sinful and wicked and rebellious, they still continued to observe the ceremonies and the sacrifices which God would not acknowledge and God would not accept. So look in verse 11. He asked, "To what purpose is the multitude of your sacrifices unto me? saith the Lord."
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"I am full of the burnt offerings of rams, and the fat of fed beasts; and I delight not in the blood of bullocks, or of lambs, or of he goats. When ye come to appear before me, who hath required this at your hand, to tread my courts? Bring no more vain oblations; incense is an abomination unto me; the new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity, even the solemn meeting."
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"Your new moons and your appointed feasts my soul hateth: they are a trouble unto me; I am weary to bear them. And when ye spread forth your hands, I will hide mine eyes from you: yea, when ye make many prayers, I will not hear: your hands are full of blood." So you have to stop and ask this question, did not God appoint those feasts and the solemn days and the new moons and the Sabbaths? Of course He did. But these people had turned all of these things into ceremonies and rituals and their lives were absolutely opposite of what God demanded. And God said, I am not going to have that. Now the interesting thing is when you look in verses 16-20, what God does is He now tries to reason with an unreasonable people. Look at what He says in verse 16: "Wash you, make you clean; put away the evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; learn to do well."
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"Seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the fatherless, plead for the widow. Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: but if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it."
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Now, the interesting thing is this. He asked the people to reason with him, and when you look back in verse 5, he asks, "Why should ye be stricken any more? ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint." Usually, a people who ignore the rod will not listen to reason, will not listen to logic, and will not listen to argument. And so he says, I've tried the rod, that didn't work. I'll try reasoning, it won't work either probably, but if you are willing and obedient you shall eat of the good of the land.
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If you refuse and rebel you'll die, it's just that simple. Now, to show you the depths of how far Judah and Jerusalem had fallen, I want you to look at verse 21: "How is the faithful city become a harlot? It was full of judgment; righteousness lodged in it; but now murderers." You see, Jerusalem was once faithful, pure, righteous, and obedient. And now God says it is a harlot. It's full of injustice, murder, fraud, deceit, graft, materialistic, unconcerned, and uncompassionate.
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The poor, the widow, the fatherless, the homeless, did not matter to any of these people. Their attitude was much like the attitude of today of individuals when they say, "I'm looking out for number one. It doesn't really bother me about all these other people. I'm just looking out for myself." And so God calls Jerusalem now basically a harlot. He says they are full of injustice, unrighteousness, and murder.
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Pretty well sums up Chicago and Washington, D.C. as well, as well as a lot of other states.
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Now, undoubtedly, there were some righteous people left in Judah and Jerusalem. God always has a remnant. You remember in the days of Elijah? When Elijah said, "They've torn down thine altars, and they've destroyed your prophets," etc., God told Elijah, "I've got 7,000 that have never bowed the knee to Baal."
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Now, just stop and think. Those 7,000 were scattered throughout all of Israel. And even Elijah thought, "There's not any." But what is 7,000 compared to an entire nation? But the fact is there was a remnant there. There was a small group who was still believing. Even in Ezekiel's day, according to Ezekiel chapter 9 verse 4, there were still some that sighed and cried for the abomination of Jerusalem.
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But here's an observation, and I want you to follow this observation in light of what I'm going to be showing you from the scripture momentarily. In Elijah's time, God did not send a revival. He sent judgment. He sent a drought, a famine, and death. In Ezekiel's time, God did not send a revival. He sent the Babylonian army, and famine, death, and captivity. In each of these instances God sent judgment. Now, I want you to look down to verse 27. Look at it. We're going to come back. But look at verse 27. God says, "Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness." Hmm. "Zion shall be redeemed with judgment." Do you realize we are not going to escape the consequences of our sins? We're not going to escape the consequences of our sins. God may deliver us, but it may be through judgment. Moreover, if you look in verse 27, He says, "Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness."
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In other words, those who turn to the Lord, or those who are spared, will be made absolutely righteous. That is, they will be walking in obedience according to God and His Law. They will walk according to His Word.
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Now, I want to call your attention to the fact that he keeps saying, "Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts." In other words, there's going to be some who are going to be made righteous. I want you to turn in your Bibles, hold Isaiah 1, but look in Isaiah 26. Begin reading there with verse 8. Isaiah 26 and verse 8. Look what Isaiah writes. We'll read through verse 12, then we're going to go back to Isaiah 1. But look at Isaiah 26, verse 8.
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"Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee." Stop right there. "Yea, in the way of thy judgments, O Lord, have we waited for thee; the desire of our soul is to thy name, and to the remembrance of thee." Why are they desiring his name and desiring to remember him? Because of his judgments. Now watch verse 9. "With my soul have I desired thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek thee early: for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness."
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Now not all of them, but some are going to. Watch if you would please verse 10. "Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. Lord, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them."
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"Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us." So interestingly, he says in verse 9, the latter part, "for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness." What inhabitants? Well, he's not talking about the wicked because he said in verse 10, "let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord." There are going to be some that will learn righteousness. If you will look back in Isaiah 1 and verse 24, what is going to happen to those who will not learn righteousness, who will not obey, and will not walk according to the Word of God? Look in verse 24.
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"Therefore thus saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies." Hmm, that's interesting. God says in verse 24 that he's going to ease himself of his adversaries and avenge himself of his enemies. Here's a question for you. In the context, who are his enemies and who are his adversaries? We're not talking about pagan people. We're not talking about the heathens. We're talking about Judah and Jerusalem. We're talking about His professing people. We're talking about a people who claim to be in covenant with Him.
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They were not in reality. That's why He was rejecting all of their worship and would have received none of their oblations and none of their sacrifices, because they were absolutely wicked and contrary to Him. But God is saying that these adversaries and these enemies are people in His own nation, in His own group. The interesting thing is this, Isaiah 1 shows you how pained and grieved God was because of their sins and rebellions. His patience had been put to the utmost trial, and now God says, "I'm going to ease myself. I'm going to take care of this. I'm going to destroy my enemies." I want you to hold Isaiah 1, but look in your Bibles to the book of Ezekiel chapter 5 and verse 13. Here's another similar expression, where God is going to bring judgment upon the people. Notice Ezekiel chapter 5 and verse 13. God says it like this, "Thus shall mine anger be accomplished, and I will cause my fury to rest upon them, and I will be comforted: and they shall know that I the Lord have spoken it in my zeal, when I have accomplished my fury in them."
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Was God comforted by accomplishing His fury upon these people who were so wicked, who were so depraved? You know it was Moses who gave us this same truth in Deuteronomy 28 and verse 63 when he said, "And it shall come to pass, that as the Lord rejoiced over you to do you good, and to multiply you; so the Lord will rejoice over you to destroy you, and to bring you to nought." In other words if you disobey Him. So God is calling it an easement when He destroys His enemy. It's a comfort when He destroys His enemy. It's a rejoicing when He destroys His enemies. And the enemies happen to be His own people. If you would turn right over to Isaiah 63 and look at verse 10. In fact, let's read verse 9 just so you can see we're still talking about Judah and Jerusalem, okay? Look at Isaiah 63 beginning there in verse 9. Look at it. Isaiah 63, verse 9.
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"In all their affliction he was afflicted, and the angel of his presence saved them: in his love and in his pity he redeemed them; and he bare them, and carried them all the days of old. But they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy, and he fought against them." So here's the people that he brought out of the land that rebelled against him, and now he's turned to be their enemy, and now he's fighting against them. That's why he said in verse 24, "Therefore thus saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty One of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies," which happen to be in his own land. Look at verse 25, how will God do that?
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He said, "And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin." Now when He says, "I will turn my hand," or "I will stretch out my hand," you have to understand that the turning of the hand, or the outstretching of the hand can either be for affliction, punishment, or it can be for deliverance and salvation. So I can stretch out my hand like this and it would hurt, or I could stretch out my hand like this and take your hand and help deliver you. So which is it? The answer is it's both, because God is going to turn his hand against his enemies and at the same time He's going to save his people. So the adversaries here were his own professing people.
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Have you ever stopped to think about this? It's kind of like America. We, in this day and time, have betrayed our founding fathers' principles upon which they built this nation. We have also turned our backs upon and betrayed the God who gave us this nation. And what did Judah and Jerusalem do? They betrayed the founding principles and they also betrayed the God who gave them that nation.
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Now God says, "I'm going to straighten things out." When he says in verse 25, "and I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross," the verse refers to the process of smelting or purifying metals in the fire. It means that God would remove all the dross, that is all the sin, the filth that has been accumulated. Look back if you would in verse 22. He said, "Thy silver is become dross." In other words, there's no purity. It's adulterated. It's watered down. It's weakened. It's not what it was supposed to be. And smelting is commonly done by fire. And the idea that God is presenting in verse 25 is simply that he would render his own people pure by those judgments which would destroy his enemies who were intermingled with his people. Wow. Now, he said in verse 25, "and I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin."
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John Trapp, the old Puritan, rightly said it, that the tin compares to their hypocrisy. Here's what he said: "Thine hypocrisy, for tin hath a show of silver." That is, it looks like it. It's the same color. But it is not so. Nay, it is a deadly enemy to gold and silver, saith one, making them hard and brittle. It is also a tyrant over them and will hardly be separated from them.
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"Hereby I figure your most noted, rooted, and inveterate sins." So God says, the heat and the fire of my judgments will purify and purge you from this dross. When God restores and rejuvenates and revives and removes the impurities that would destroy us, at the same time, he destroys his enemies. And then he gives us that which we need. Look in verse 26. Follow this now. Look in verse 24.
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He said, "I'm going to ease myself of my adversaries." Verse 25, he tells you how he's going to do it.
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Now in verse 26, after he does it, he said, "And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counsellors as at the beginning: afterward thou shalt be called, The city of righteousness, the faithful city." So here's a question. Why do we need new judges and counselors? Well, look back at verse 23. Here it is: "Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards."
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That almost sounds like Congress, doesn't it? Yeah. "They judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them." In other words, they're really not interested in justice. They're interested in perpetuating themselves and their own party and their own plans, and that's about it. So he says, yeah, you need new counselors. You need new judges. That is for sure. Let me point something out.
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I do not think the average Christian has ever really perceived, understood, and comprehended the influence of wicked, ungodly, reprobate rulers. By the same token most Christians have never really perceived, understood, and comprehended the influence of godly, righteous rulers. In fact we haven't had one in so long we'd probably be hard to recognize one when we saw one. But let me throw this out for your consideration. When you read through the Bible, take note of this fact that every major idolatry, every major idolatry in the Bible was begun by a wicked civil ruler. Jeroboam, Manasseh, even Solomon. You say Solomon was a good man, he was until you get to 1 Kings chapter 11 and he is the one that introduced Baal worship, and Moloch worship and all of this into the children of Israel.
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Built altars for Ashtoreth for all of his strange gods, and his strange wives. Yeah. And then you have to note this, every major revival in the Bible took place under a godly ruler: Josiah, Hezekiah, Uzziah. The point I'm trying to make is we've not really comprehended how wicked rulers influence a people and how godly rulers influence a people. And this is why God says I'm going to restore your judges as at the first and your counselors as at the beginning.
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I want you to listen to this. I'm going to show it to you from the Bible just momentarily. But the destruction of the wicked is needed and necessary for the establishment of the righteous. Look in verse 27 and let's read through verse 31. Put it together. He says in verse 27, "Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness." Well what is going to happen when Zion is redeemed with judgments and her converts with righteousness? Here it is, "And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together." In other words it is going to happen at the same time, "and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed. And they shall be ashamed of the oaks which ye have desired," that's idolatry, "and ye shall be confounded for the gardens," that's idolatry, "that ye have chosen."
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"For ye shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth," you'll be dead, "and as a garden that hath no water," you'll be dead. "And the strong shall be as tow, and the maker of it as a spark, and they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them." So what is God saying? When He redeems Zion with judgments and her converts with righteousness, He's going to destroy the wicked. So the question has to be asked, is this just something that Isaiah came up with, or is this clearly taught in the Bible? And the answer is, it's taught over and over and over in the Bible.
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Because idolatry, sin, wickedness, and rebellion must be dealt with. It must be rooted out, and it must be destroyed. Let me show you something. Turn to Psalm 34. Just turn there. But as you turn there, turn right over to Jeremiah. Turn right over to Jeremiah before we go to Psalm 34. I want you to look at something. Look in Jeremiah chapter 1. I believe it is. Let me check it out. Because God calls Jeremiah to be a prophet.
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Let me see what I'm trying to get the right verse here. Okay. Yeah, verse 10. Look what God says concerning Jeremiah. "See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant." He has to do three times as much destroying as he does building and planting. You can't build and plant on a bad foundation or a bad soil.
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It has to be torn down. So with that in mind go back in your Bibles to Psalm 34 and let me show you a number of verses of what the scripture says concerning the wicked. And it doesn't matter if we are talking about the heathen or the pagan or the religious wicked or the hypocritical wicked. Notice if you would Psalm 34 and verse 21. Psalm 34 verse 21: "Evil shall slay the wicked: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate." So evil shall slay the wicked and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate. Turn right over to Psalm 37 and look at verse 10. Psalm 37 verse 10: "For yet a little while, and the wicked shall not be: yea, thou shalt diligently consider his place, and it shall not be."
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"But the meek shall inherit the earth; and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace." Hmm. By the way, I know I've told you this before, but I want to tell it to you again. The meek here, the word meek, especially as it's used in the New Testament, does not mean a wimp. It does not mean someone who lets you use them as a foot mat and wipe your feet all over them. The word meek does not refer to a 90 pound weakling. The word meek refers to those that are broken to yoke, those who have been submitted and in submission to God, who obey Him and follow His law. So, he says the wicked are going to be destroyed, but the meek, that is those who have been broken to yoke, they are going to inherit the earth. Look if you would please in verse 17. Psalm 37 verse 17: "For the arms of the wicked shall be broken: but the Lord upholdeth the righteous." Now your arms speak of your power, your ability. So God says I'm gonna break their power and will break their arms, but the Lord's gonna uphold the righteous. Skip down to verse 20: "But the wicked shall perish, and the enemies of the Lord shall be as the fat of lambs: they shall consume; into smoke shall they consume away."
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Verse 28: "For the Lord loveth judgment, and forsaketh not his saints; they are preserved for ever: but the seed of the wicked shall be cut off." Verse 38: "But the transgressors shall be destroyed together: the end of the wicked shall be cut off." Turn right over to Psalm 92 and verse 7. Psalm 92 and verse 7. I could multiply scriptures, but you're getting the idea, I hope. But look in Psalm 92 and verse 7. Here's what God says. Psalm 92 verse 7: "When the wicked spring as the grass, and when all the workers of iniquity do flourish; it is that they shall be destroyed for ever."
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God says they spring up, they flourish just to be cut down. When you look at Isaiah chapter 1 and God says in verse 27, "Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness." You're going to hear people say something like this: "I don't like to hear about judgment. I don't like that idea. I don't like to talk about that," even Christian people. Like that's a big no-no. And I've heard some try to be very pious and they would say, "Well, I just want the Lord to come back and that'll take care of it." Really? That's true. But I want you to turn in your Bibles to 2 Thessalonians chapter 1, and let me show you what's going to happen when our Lord does return. 2 Thessalonians chapter 1, and let's begin reading there with verse 7. So when you say, "I'm just waiting for the Lord," or "I want the Lord to come back, He's going to take care of this," that's true, He shall, but look what's going to happen.
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2 Thessalonians chapter 1 verse 7, Paul writes, "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, in flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power; when he shall come to be glorified in his saints, and to be admired in all them that believe (because our testimony among you was believed) in that day." What is our Lord going to do when He returns? He's going to come back in judgment. He's going to destroy the wicked. You cannot have judgment without redemption or redemption without judgment. When He destroys the wicked, it is the redemption of His people. Judgment and redemption go together. You cannot have one without the other.
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Stop and think about this. When God delivered Noah and his family, he judged and destroyed the old world. When God delivered the Israelites from bondage, he judged and destroyed Egypt. When God delivered the land of Canaan into the hands of the Israelites, he judged and destroyed the Canaanites. The greatest proof of this truth is found in the Lord Jesus Christ. When God the Father delivered us from our sins, when He redeemed us, it was because His judgment fell upon His Son, who is our surety, our substitute, and our sacrifice. Let me show you.
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I want you to look in your Bibles, if you would, first of all, to 1 Peter chapter 1. 1 Peter chapter 1 and let's begin reading there with verse 18. It is 1 Peter chapter 1 verse 18. Look what he says. 1 Peter 1 verse 18: "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you." Note, we were redeemed not with silver and gold, but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish, without spot. Now if you will turn to the book of Romans chapter 3, Romans chapter 3, and look if you would please at verses 24 through 26. Romans 3 verse 24: "Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God;"
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"to declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus." Now go back to verse 25, "whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation." The word propitiation literally means to appease, to placate, to satisfy. Do you realize that Jesus Christ our sacrifice appeased and placated and satisfied the holiness, the righteousness, and the justice of God because God's wrath fell upon him instead of falling upon us? When we were redeemed, it was through judgment. You cannot have redemption without judgment. If you will look in your Bibles to 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and 2 Corinthians chapter 5 and look at verse 21, you will see it again. 2 Corinthians 5 verse 21: "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." We were made righteous because He was judged in our stead.
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We were redeemed through judgment. I believe that when God graciously turns Himself to us and He turns us to Himself, it will be through judgment. He says, "Zion shall be redeemed through judgment."
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Now, let me make some applications, and I want you to listen to this first one very closely. Okay? Here we go. You got your seatbelts tightened. Here we go. Judgment is not our enemy. It is our friend. Judgment is not our enemy, it is our friend. It is by means of judgment that the wicked are purged. And it's by means of judgment that we are refined. You know what David said in Psalm 119 verse 67, listen.
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He said, "Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word." Before I was afflicted, I went astray. The Lord's saying, "Lord, you whipped me, and I learned something." See, we can identify with this, especially the older ones, because when we were children and we did wrong, you know what our dad did to us? He wore us out. And we learned. When he spoke, we obeyed. And when he told us not to do something, we found out we better not do it. David said, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted."
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Psalm 119 verse 71, let me say it again. He said, "It is good for me that I have been afflicted."
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Now he said, "that I might learn thy statutes." He said, "You whipped me really good and I learned your statutes. I'll learn to walk." You know, you can tell someone something, and they can sit there and shake their head and say, "Yes, I understand. I grasp it." And then they go away and forget it. But you let them learn the hard way through experience, and you let it cost them in some measure, in some way, and they never forget it.
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Judgment is not our enemy. Judgment is our friend. Secondly, if you understand that God uses judgment in reviving and in restoring His people, it should make us live more holily and more righteously. How so? Well, if I know that God uses judgment, I don't want to be judged. I don't want to do anything that's going to bring His wrath, His anger upon me. I do not want His rod across my back.
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In other words, we said it like this when we were children: "We don't want another whipping." A whipping. That's what it was called. Instead of a whipping, it was called a whipping. We don't want one. And the interesting thing is this, when you study, and you read Hebrews chapter 12, the Bible tells us that, "he scourgeth every son whom he receiveth."
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Now if you endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? Then he says this, "Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." In other words, God's judgments, God's chastisements, God's weapons always work. They always work. And if we don't want any of them, we just need to learn to do what's right and obey and please our Heavenly Father. It's just that simple.
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So if we understand this principle, it should make us more holy and should make us more godly. The third application is this. It is a righteous and holy prayer to pray for the destruction of God's enemies and the elevation of God's people. Here's a scripture that I usually pray every day. Psalm 7, verse 9: "Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins." Just stop and think about it. "Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end." God, stop it. Judge it. Destroy it. Let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish thou the righteous. Jesus Christ is called the righteous one.
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I certainly want to see His throne established. I want to see His kingdom established. I want to see His people established. So it's a righteous thing to pray, "Let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish thou the just," and usually God will do so through judgment, because redemption and judgment go together. Zion shall be redeemed with judgment. And when God's judgments are in the earth, the righteous will learn and pay attention and become more righteous and more obedient.
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Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow to thee. We thank you for your word. We thank you for your truth. We thank you for your righteousness, Lord, and the fact that you do indeed judge us and judge others as well. And we pray, Father, that you'd help us to be more holy and be more godly. And, Father, we do pray, as you've taught us in your Word, "Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous Lord trieth the hearts and reins." We ask these things in the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, in whose name we pray, amen.
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Judgment and Redemption

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

Pastor John Weaver expounds Isaiah 1:21-31, arguing that biblical redemption is inseparable from judgment. He demonstrates that God purifies His people and destroys His enemies simultaneously, using historical examples and the cross of Christ. Applications include viewing judgment as a friend, living holily to avoid chastisement, and praying for the end of wickedness.

Opening

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 1:21-31

"How is the faithful city become a harlot? It was full of judgment. Righteousness lodged in it, but now murderers. Thy silver is become dross, thy wine mixed with water. Thy princes are rebellious and companions of thieves." "Everyone loveth gifts and followeth after rewards. They judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come before them. Therefore saith the Lord, the Lord of hosts, the mighty one of Israel, Ah, I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies. And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin. And I will restore thy judges as at the first, and thy counselors as at the beginning." "Afterwards thou shalt be called the city of righteousness, the faithful city. Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness. And the destruction of the transgressors and of the sinners shall be together, and they that forsake the Lord shall be consumed. For they shall be ashamed of the oaks which you have desired, and you shall be confounded for the gardens that you have chosen. For you shall be as an oak whose leaf fadeth, and as a garden that hath no water."

Introduction: The Uncommon Pairing of Judgment and Redemption

Weaver notes that Christians typically separate judgment and redemption, but the Bible joins them, as seen in Isaiah 1:27.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 1:21-31

"And the strong shall be as a tow, and the maker thereof as a spark. And they shall both burn together, and none shall quench them."

The Hebrew Word 'Padah' and Its Two Senses

The word translated 'redeemed' can mean deliverance without ransom (Genesis 14, 37) or with a ransom price (Hosea 3).

Scripture Reading — Genesis 14:18-20

"And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he was priest of the most high God. And he blessed him, and said, Blessed be Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth: and blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered"

—there is the same word—

Scripture Reading — Genesis 14:18-20

"delivered thine enemies into thine hand."

Scripture Reading — Hosea 1:2-3

"So he went and took Gomer the daughter of Diblaim; which conceived, and bare him a son."

The Condition of Judah and Jerusalem

Isaiah 1:2-15 describes Judah as rebellious, corrupt, and unresponsive to correction, yet still performing empty rituals.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 1:2-15

"Ye will revolt more and more: the whole head is sick, and the whole heart faint."

And then of course verse 6 shows you how absolutely perverted, depraved, and debauched they were as a nation. He says,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 1:2-15

"From the sole of the foot even unto the head there is no soundness in it; but wounds, and bruises, and putrifying sores: they have not been closed, neither bound up, neither mollified with ointment."

And the interesting thing is this, verses 7 and 8 now show us the result that sin and that rebellion and that depravity have upon a nation, a society, and a culture. So look in verse 7, he says,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 1:2-15

"Your country is desolate." "Your cities are burned with fire: your land, strangers devour it in your presence, and it is desolate, as overthrown by strangers."

That's us. Watch verse 8,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 1:2-15

"And the daughter of Zion is left as a cottage in a vineyard, as a lodge in a garden of cucumbers, as a besieged city."

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 1:2-15

"Except the Lord of hosts had left unto us a very small remnant, we should have been as Sodom, and we should have been like unto Gomorrah."

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 1:2-15

"Hear the word of the Lord, ye rulers of Sodom; give ear unto the law of our God, ye people of Gomorrah."

So he is calling the rulers, the rulers of Sodom.

God's Reasoning and the Depths of Apostasy

God calls the rulers 'rulers of Sodom' and the people 'people of Gomorrah,' highlighting their total corruption.

Judgment as the Means of Redemption

Isaiah 1:27 declares Zion shall be redeemed with judgment; historical examples show God sent judgment, not revival, to deal with sin.

Judgments Teach Righteousness

Isaiah 26:8-10 teaches that when God's judgments are in the earth, some inhabitants learn righteousness, though the wicked do not.

Now not all of them, but some are going to. Watch if you would please verse 10.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 26:8-12

"Let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord. Lord, when thy hand is lifted up, they will not see: but they shall see, and be ashamed for their envy at the people; yea, the fire of thine enemies shall devour them." "Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us."

So interestingly, he says in verse 9, the latter part,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 26:8-12

"for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness."

What inhabitants? Well, he's not talking about the wicked because he said in verse 10,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 26:8-12

"let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord."

God's Enemies Are His Professing People

God vows to ease Himself of His adversaries—Judah and Jerusalem—by purging dross and restoring righteous judges.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 26:8-12

"Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us."

So interestingly, he says in verse 9, the latter part,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 26:8-12

"for when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness."

What inhabitants? Well, he's not talking about the wicked because he said in verse 10,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 26:8-12

"let favour be shewed to the wicked, yet will he not learn righteousness: in the land of uprightness will he deal unjustly, and will not behold the majesty of the Lord."

The Destruction of the Wicked and Establishment of the Righteous

Verses 27-31 show that the destruction of transgressors accompanies Zion's redemption; this pattern is seen throughout Scripture.

Let me see what I'm trying to get the right verse here. Okay. Yeah, verse 10. Look what God says concerning Jeremiah.

Scripture Reading — Jeremiah 1:10

"See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build, and to plant."

The Cross: The Ultimate Proof of Redemption Through Judgment

Christ's substitutionary death demonstrates that redemption comes through judgment, as God's wrath fell on Him to justify believers.

Scripture Reading — 1 Peter 1:18-20

"Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you."

We were redeemed through judgment. I believe that when God graciously turns Himself to us and He turns us to Himself, it will be through judgment. He says, "Zion shall be redeemed through judgment."

Applications: Judgment as Friend, Call to Holiness, and Righteous Prayer

Judgment refines believers; understanding this should promote holy living; praying for the end of wickedness is biblical.

Judgment and Redemption

John Weaver | YouTube

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	YouTube
Media ID	vkOkTDhrKZ4
Subject	Covenant Theology
Course	Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: Promises Of The Law
Genre	Sermon
Date	2017-10-03
Dictation Name
Book	Book 042: Covenant Theology: Blessings, Curses, and Sanctions: God's Answer to America's Problems — Chapter 27
Source Timed Segments	71

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction: The Uncommon Pairing of Judgment and Redemption: Weaver notes that Christians typically separate judgment and redemption, but the Bible joins them, as seen in Isaiah 1:27.
The Hebrew Word 'Padah' and Its Two Senses: The word translated 'redeemed' can mean deliverance without ransom (Genesis 14, 37) or with a ransom price (Hosea 3).
The Condition of Judah and Jerusalem: Isaiah 1:2-15 describes Judah as rebellious, corrupt, and unresponsive to correction, yet still performing empty rituals.
God's Reasoning and the Depths of Apostasy: God calls the rulers 'rulers of Sodom' and the people 'people of Gomorrah,' highlighting their total corruption.
Judgment as the Means of Redemption: Isaiah 1:27 declares Zion shall be redeemed with judgment; historical examples show God sent judgment, not revival, to deal with sin.
Judgments Teach Righteousness: Isaiah 26:8-10 teaches that when God's judgments are in the earth, some inhabitants learn righteousness, though the wicked do not.
God's Enemies Are His Professing People: God vows to ease Himself of His adversaries—Judah and Jerusalem—by purging dross and restoring righteous judges.
The Destruction of the Wicked and Establishment of the Righteous: Verses 27-31 show that the destruction of transgressors accompanies Zion's redemption; this pattern is seen throughout Scripture.
The Cross: The Ultimate Proof of Redemption Through Judgment: Christ's substitutionary death demonstrates that redemption comes through judgment, as God's wrath fell on Him to justify believers.
Applications: Judgment as Friend, Call to Holiness, and Righteous Prayer: Judgment refines believers; understanding this should promote holy living; praying for the end of wickedness is biblical.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Redemption Requires Judgment

Every biblical act of deliverance involved judgment on the oppressors or on a substitute.

Weaver lists Noah's flood, the Exodus, the conquest of Canaan, and ultimately Christ's crucifixion as examples.

God's People Can Become His Enemies

When God's people rebel persistently, He turns to fight against them as adversaries.

Isaiah 63:10 is cited: 'they rebelled, and vexed his holy Spirit: therefore he was turned to be their enemy.'

Judgment Teaches Righteousness

God's judgments in the earth cause some to learn righteousness, though the wicked remain unresponsive.

Isaiah 26:9-10 is quoted: 'when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.'

Wicked Rulers Corrupt a Nation; Godly Rulers Foster Revival

Major idolatries were introduced by wicked rulers, while major revivals occurred under godly rulers.

Weaver cites Jeroboam, Manasseh, Solomon for idolatry; Josiah, Hezekiah, Uzziah for revival.

The Destruction of the Wicked Is Necessary for the Righteous to Flourish

God's promise to restore judges and counselors follows the purging of dross, indicating that the wicked must be removed.

Isaiah 1:26-28 shows restoration after judgment; Weaver states, 'the destruction of the wicked is needed and necessary for the establishment of the righteous.'

Scripture References

Isaiah 1:21-31: The primary text of the sermon, describing Jerusalem's harlotry, God's purging judgment, and the promise of redemption with judgment.
Genesis 14:18-20: Example of 'padah' used as deliverance without ransom when Abraham rescued Lot.
Genesis 37:21: Reuben delivered Joseph from his brothers, another instance of 'padah' without a ransom price.
Hosea 1:2-3: God commands Hosea to marry an impure woman to illustrate Israel's unfaithfulness.
Hosea 3:1-3: Hosea redeems Gomer from the slave market, illustrating redemption with a price.
Isaiah 1:1: Identifies the audience as Judah and Jerusalem during the reigns of Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah.
Isaiah 1:2-15: Overview of Judah's rebellion, corruption, and empty worship.
Isaiah 1:16-20: God's call to reason, wash, and obey, with promises of blessing or destruction.
Isaiah 26:8-12: The righteous wait for God's judgments, which teach the inhabitants of the world righteousness.
Ezekiel 5:13: God says He will be comforted when His fury is accomplished upon the wicked.
Deuteronomy 28:63: As the Lord rejoiced to do good, so He will rejoice to destroy the disobedient.
Isaiah 63:9-10: God redeemed Israel but they rebelled, so He turned to be their enemy and fought against them.
Jeremiah 1:10: Jeremiah's commission to root out, pull down, destroy, and then build and plant.
Psalm 34:21: Evil shall slay the wicked, and those who hate the righteous shall be desolate.
Psalm 37:10, 17, 20, 28, 38: The wicked will be cut off and destroyed, but the meek shall inherit the earth.
Psalm 92:7: The wicked spring up like grass only to be destroyed forever.
2 Thessalonians 1:7-10: Christ's return in flaming fire to take vengeance on those who do not know God.
1 Peter 1:18-20: We were redeemed not with silver and gold but with the precious blood of Christ.
Romans 3:24-26: Christ is set forth as a propitiation to declare God's righteousness in justifying believers.
2 Corinthians 5:21: God made Christ sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.

Historical References

William Booth and the Salvation Army: Booth and his wife purchased people sold as slaves to free them, illustrating redemption with a price.
Modern-day slavery and redemption: Weaver notes that people are still being redeemed from slavery today, suggesting an internet search.
Elijah's remnant of 7,000: In Elijah's day, God had a remnant who had not bowed to Baal, yet God sent judgment, not revival.
Ezekiel's day and the Babylonian judgment: In Ezekiel's time, God sent the Babylonian army as judgment, not revival.
John Trapp, Puritan commentator: Trapp's comment on 'tin' representing hypocrisy, as tin resembles silver but is a deadly enemy to it.
Jeroboam, Manasseh, Solomon as wicked rulers introducing idolatry: Weaver cites these kings as examples of civil rulers who led Israel into major idolatry.
Josiah, Hezekiah, Uzziah as godly rulers fostering revival: These kings are cited as examples of rulers under whom major revivals occurred.

Important Quotes

Zion shall be redeemed with judgment, and her converts with righteousness.

The central thesis of the sermon, showing the inseparable link between redemption and judgment.

I will ease me of mine adversaries, and avenge me of mine enemies.

Demonstrates that God's enemies in this context are His own professing people, whom He will judge.

And I will turn my hand upon thee, and purely purge away thy dross, and take away all thy tin.

Illustrates the refining purpose of judgment to remove sin and hypocrisy from God's people.

For when thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world will learn righteousness.

Shows that God's judgments have a pedagogical purpose, teaching righteousness to some.

Oh let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end; but establish the just: for the righteous God trieth the hearts and reins.

Presented as a model prayer, affirming that it is righteous to pray for judgment on the wicked.

Judgment is not our enemy. It is our friend.

A provocative application that reframes judgment as beneficial for believers' refinement.

Before I was afflicted I went astray: but now have I kept thy word.

David's testimony that affliction (judgment) led to obedience, supporting the friendliness of judgment.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

Why do you think Christians often separate judgment and redemption, and how does Isaiah 1:27 challenge that separation?

[Context]

Weaver opens by noting that the average Christian does not associate judgment and redemption.

[Question]

In what ways does the cross of Christ demonstrate that redemption comes through judgment?

[Context]

Weaver uses 1 Peter 1, Romans 3, and 2 Corinthians 5 to show Christ bore judgment for our redemption.

[Question]

How should the truth that God sometimes turns against His own professing people affect our self-examination?

[Context]

Isaiah 63:10 and Isaiah 1:24 show God fighting against rebellious covenant people.

[Question]

What does it mean for judgment to be a 'friend' to believers, and how have you experienced this?

[Context]

Weaver states, 'Judgment is not our enemy. It is our friend,' citing Psalm 119:67, 71.

[Question]

Is it loving to pray for the destruction of the wicked? How does Psalm 7:9 guide such prayers?

[Context]

Weaver calls it a 'righteous and holy prayer' to pray for the end of wickedness.

[Question]

How do wicked rulers influence a nation toward idolatry, and what can we learn from the biblical pattern of godly rulers and revival?

[Context]

Weaver contrasts Jeroboam/Manasseh with Josiah/Hezekiah to show the impact of civil leaders.

Applications

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