Isaiah 65

Order of Service

• Scripture Reading — Isaiah 65
• Sermon
• Prayer of Closing

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Sermon Title: Portraits and Promises for the Rebel and the Remnant

Scripture: Isaiah 65

I. Introduction: Isaiah 65 in Context

A. The passage continues Isaiah's eschatological section (Isaiah 63–66), dealing with last things and the culmination of the hope of believers B. Last week covered Isaiah 63–64: the Victorious Redeemer coming from Edom and the prayer of Zion crying out for God to act C. Chapter 65 presents two portraits and two sets of promises: Rebel and Remnant

II. Portrait of the Rebels (Isaiah 65:1–5, 11)

A. Verse 1 — The Grace of God toward the Nations

1. God permitted himself to be sought and found by those not seeking him
2. Paul echoes this in Acts 17: God made nations to seek and find him
3. This is language of the expansion of the Gospel to the Nations, rooted in the Abrahamic promise
4. "Here I am, here I am" — God's self-revelation going out through his Word to those not called by his name

B. Verse 2 onward — Focus shifts to Israel

1. The contrast drawn from Ezekiel 3: the Nations would have listened, but Israel would not
2. Israel's guilt is deepened because they had the privileges and oracles of God yet refused to heed them
3. Calvin: the "spreading out of hands all the day" = the daily invitation through God's Word throughout the ages
4. Jeremiah echoes this: "When I spoke to you persistently, you did not listen"

C. Verses 3–5, 11 — Portrait of idolatry and disobedience

1. Sacrificing in gardens, sitting in tombs, eating pig's flesh — living like the surrounding pagan nations
2. Setting a table for Fortune, filling cups for Destiny — outright idolatry
3. Deliberate disobedience to the clear commands of God's Word

III. Promise to the Rebels (Isaiah 65:6–7, 12)

A. God will repay — "into their lap" — a personal, direct judgment B. Both their own iniquities and their fathers' iniquities will be repaid

1. Not that children are punished for parents' sins (cf. Ezekiel 18)
2. Rather, failure to break with the sins of the past causes sin to grow more aggravated with each generation C. Those not covered by the suffering servant must bear their own iniquities D. This promise of judgment is part of the comfort for God's remnant people — God will be faithful to bring justice E. Verse 12: "I called and you did not answer" — the rebels' guilt is that they did not heed God's Word

IV. Portrait of the Remnant (Isaiah 65:8–10)

A. The image of new wine found in the cluster — preserved from destruction

1. Echoes the Victorious Redeemer coming from the winepress in Isaiah 63
2. The remnant merits the winepress of God's wrath, yet God preserves them B. God acts "for my servants' sake" — rooted in his steadfast covenant love, not in any merit of the remnant C. The very concept of a remnant declares the sovereignty of God
3. Paul affirms in Romans 11: "There is a remnant chosen by grace"
4. God's people are those who seek him only because he has permitted and invited them to do so (cf. verse 1) D. Language of "My Chosen" and "servants" — parallel terms for those God has called, whose hearts are transformed to serve him E. Final words of verse 10: "for my people who have sought me" — the defining mark of the remnant

V. Promise to the Remnant (Isaiah 65:9–10)

A. Offspring from Jacob and Judah shall possess God's mountain — language of inheritance B. The Valley of Achor — from curse to blessing

1. Originally the place of Achan's judgment in Joshua — "the valley of trouble"
2. Now becomes a pasture, a place of rest — movement from curse to blessing C. The land possessed points forward to the new heavens and new earth (verses 17–25)
3. The writer of Hebrews calls it "the better country" — the city of God
4. The spiritual Jerusalem coming down from heaven — redeemed man living forever with God

VI. Interwoven Promises Contrasted (Isaiah 65:13–16)

A. Rebels vs. Remnant — four contrasts: food, drink, condition, names

1. Servants shall eat / rebels shall be hungry
2. Servants shall drink / rebels shall be thirsty
3. Servants shall rejoice / rebels shall be put to shame
4. Servants shall be called by another name / rebels' name left as a curse B. Christ takes the rebels' portion in the place of his people
5. In the wilderness, Christ hungered for 40 days
6. On the cross, Christ cried "I thirst" (John 19:28)
7. He bore shame and breaking of spirit — though he deserved none of it — so his servants receive new names C. The contrast is meant to heighten both the wretchedness of judgment and the sweetness of grace

VII. Looking Ahead

A. Isaiah 65:17–25 — the new heavens and new earth — the fullest picture of God's promise to his remnant, to be covered in coming weeks B. Connection to Galatians 4:21–31 — the offspring of Jacob as children of promise, citizens of the Jerusalem above (raised in discussion) C. Connection to Matthew 23:37–39 — Christ's lament over Jerusalem echoes the Lord's outstretched hands to a rebellious people (raised in discussion)