Sermon #81 Series: Isaiah

Title: God Our Protector

Text: Isaiah 31:1-9

Subject: God’s Protection Of His People

Date: Sunday Evening - July 7, 1991

Tape #

Introduction:

When trouble comes, where do you turn for help? Where do you find your comfort? What is the source of your strength? Do you look to the Lord God and trust him; or do you lean upon the arm of the flesh? Do you, with David, say, “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth?” (Ps. 121:1-2; or do you go down to Egypt and seek help from earthly power, wisdom and skill? Do you find your help in God, or in this world? Do you flee at the sound of trouble; or do you find your strength in sitting still, in quietness and confidence before God?

Read Isaiah 31:1-9

The first commandment of the law is - “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” And it is a direct violation of that commandment, it is an act of idolatry, to take from God that confidence of faith that is due to him alone and place it upon any creature. The object of my trust is the object of my worship. And that which I trust and worship is my God! If I trust the Lord God, I worship him. He is my God. If I place my trust in anything, or anyone else, I am guilty of idolatry. No wonder then that John pleads, “Little children, keep yourselves from idols” (I John 5:21).

This is the sin of Judah which Isaiah reproves in our text. Sennacherib, King of Assyria, had come against Jerusalem with a powerful and , humanly speaking, irresistible army. When he did the Jews went down to Egypt to help. They should have looked to the Lord God for his promised, merciful and gracious protection. But they rejected his counsel (30:7, 15). Therefore God sent Isaiah to Judah with this message.

1. It is a message of judgment (vv. 1-3).

The help that Judah hoped to gain from Assyria would be vain and useless.

2. It is a call to repentence (v. 6).

The Lord God calls his elect remnant among the people to repentance. He tells them that it is still their strength to sit still, be quiet and trust in him.

3. And this is a message of grace (vv. 7-9).

He promised Judah that if they would return to him and put their trust in him, as soon as they did so, he would deliver them from their enemies.

Note: Before I go on, let me address you who are yet without Christ, under the wrath of God, held captive by sin and satan. Would you be free? As soon as you repent, as soon as you look to Christ, as soon as you cast away your idols of carnal trust, the works of your own hands, and trust the Lord Jesus Christ, you shall be free!

· Free from the Curse of the Law!

· Free from the Dominion of Sin!

· Free from the Tyranny of Satan!

· Free from the Dread of God and His Wrath!

And the Lord God will be your Protector forever!

That is my subject tonight - God Our Protector.

Proposition: In these nine verses the Lord God calls for us to trust him alone and promises that he will effectually protect and deliver all who trust him from all their enemies.

Divisions: I want us to learn four things from this chapter.

1. God’s Saints Do Not Need And Must Not Seek the Help Of This World.

2. Doubt And Unbelief On the Part Of God’s Saints Is A Most Unreasonable Thing.

3. The Lord God Is Our Almighty, Unfailing Protector.

4. The Believer’s Strength And Blessedness Is His Quiet Confidence In God.

I. GOD’S SAINTS DO NOT NEED AND MUST NOT SEEK THE HELP OF THIS WORLD.

How dishonoring to God it is for his children to seek comfort, strength, and help from his enemies! Anytime Judah goes down to Egypt for help, Judah will suffer. Peter got into trouble when he warned himself by the fire of the Lord’s enemies.

A. God’s servant does not need what the King of Sodom can provide (Gen. 14:21-23).

B. God’s church does not need the help and assistance of this world.

C. God’s gospel and God’s preachers do not need and do not seek the help of God’s enemies (Matt. 10:9-14; Lk. 22:35).

D. God’s people do not need the help of God’s ememies.

· For Sanity.

· For Domestic Tranquillity.

· For Help in Trouble.

Note: We never have reason to compromise the gospel and dishonor our God

· By fleeing from the world’s assaults.

· By seeking the world’s assistance.

· By operating upon the world’s principles.

II. DOUBT AND UNBELIEF ON THE PART OF GOD’S SAINTS IS A MOST UNREASONABLE THING.

Judah had no reason whatsoever to fear Sennacherib and Assyria. Had they only listened to God and hearkened to his word, they would have avoided much sorrow and trouble (II Chron. 32:7-8).

When Peter began to consider the boisterous waves and winds of the sea, he began to doubt the Savior. And when he began to doubt, he began to sink. He cried, “Lord, save me.” And the Lord did. Then the Lord reproved his unbelief, saying, “O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” (Matt. 14:24-31).

Now, I want you to do something - Give me a reason for doubting God? Give me a reason for unbelief.

· Has God ever broken a promise?

· Have you ever known the Lord to be unfaithful?

· Is anything too hard for the Lord?

· Has God changed?

We have no reason to question God’s wisdom, goodness and power. Our doubts and suspicions of him are as unreasonable as they are sinful.

III. THE LORD OUR GOD IS OUR ALMIGHTY, UNFAILING PROTECTOR - (Ps. 125:1-2).

Here in Isaiah 31 we see Judah in extreme trouble and desperate need. And God called for them to trust him, promising to protect them in four ways. Here are four ways in which the Lord God is our Protector.

A. God protects his own with the firmness and resolve of a lion (v. 4).

“If God be for us, who can be against us?”

As all the shepherds of a village could never, by their impotent noise prevail upon a lion to relinquish his prey, so none can prevail upon our God to relinquish his defense of his people.

B. God protects his own elect with the tenderness and persistence of a mother bird (v. 5).

A mother bird will give up her life to a hawk rather than relinquish her little ones to the predator.

1. The Lord God has given his life for us.

2. He will defend us.

3. He will deliver us.

4. Passing over, he will preserve us.

· Where there is the mark of the blood God passes over and spares.

· And those whom God spares none can destroy.

C. God protects his people by his legions of heavenly angels (vv. 8-9).

(II Kings 20:34-36; Heb. 1:14). (II Kings 6:16-17).

Note: The ensign, the insignificant flagpole, Judah, when God is with her is an unconquerable army (Compare 30:17 & 31:9).

Illus: Paul - Acts 23:12-24 } (Ps. 91:11-12)

Peter - Acts 12:6-11

D. God protects his Israel as a wall of fire (v. 9; Zech. 2:5).

Illus: Israel at the Red Sea.

Israel in the Wilderness.

This is what I am saying, child of God, you belong to God. “He that toucheth you toucheth the apple of his eye.” God is with you. God will protect you - (Isa. 41:10; 43:1-5).

IV. THE BELIEVER’S STRENGTH AND BLESSEDNESS IS HIS QUIET CONFIDENCE IN GOD (Isa. 30:7, 15).

Look anywhere else for help, and you make misery for yourself. The arm of flesh will fail you. You dare not trust your own. But God will never fail you. Trust him and him alone.

A. It is not possible for your confidence in God to be too strong.

· Four bold questions - (Rom. 8:31-39).

B. Faith in God inspires gratitude to God - (I Thess. 5:16-18).

C. Faith and gratitude promotes fidelity to the Lord our God.

Believing God, we have nothing to fear, nothing even to think of, except how we may best serve and honor him - Acts 20:24.

Let us ever be conscious of God’s gracious interventions on our behalf and give ourselves daily to him.

1. His Intervention of Redemption.

2. His Intervention of Grace.

3. His Intervention of Providence.

· David and Abigail (I Sam. 25:32-33).

· Peter (Luke 22:31-32).

Application: Believe God!