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[0:00] Isaiah chapter 11. We begin reading at verse 1. A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse.

[0:11] ! From his roots a branch will bear fruit.! The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him, the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of power, the Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.

[0:27] And he will delight in the fear of the Lord. He will not judge by what he sees with his eyes or decide by what he hears with his ears. But with righteousness he will judge the needy.

[0:41] With justice he will give decisions for the poor of the earth. He will strike the earth with the rod of his mouth. With the breath of his lips he will slay the wicked.

[0:53] Righteousness will be his belt. And faithfulness the sash around his waist. The wolf will live with a lamb. The leopard will lie down with a goat.

[1:06] The calf and the lion and the yearling together. And a little child will lead them. The cow will feed with the bear. Their young will lie down together.

[1:17] And the lion will eat straw like the ox. The infant will play near the hole of the cobra. And the young child put his hand into the viper's nest. They will neither harm nor destroy on all my holy mountain.

[1:32] For the earth will be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. And that day the root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples. The nations will rally to him.

[1:43] And his place of rest will be glorious. And that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time. To reclaim the remnant that is left of his people from Assyria.

[1:55] From lower Egypt. From upper Egypt. From Cush. From Elam. From Babylonia. From Hamath. And from the islands of the sea. He will raise a banner for the nations.

[2:07] And to gather the exiles of Israel. He will assemble the scattered people of Judah from the four quarters of the earth. Ephraim's jealousy will vanish. And Judah's enemies will be cut off.

[2:20] Ephraim will not be jealous of Judah. Nor Judah hostile toward Ephraim. They will swoop down on the slopes of Philistia to the west. Together they will plunder the people to the east.

[2:31] They will lay hands on Edom and Moab. And the Ammonites will be subject to them. The Lord will dry up the gulf of the Egyptian sea. With a scorching wind. He will sweep his hand over the Euphrates River.

[2:44] He will break it up into seven streams. So that men can cross over in sandals. There will be a highway. For the remnant of his people. That is left from Assyria.

[2:55] As there was for Israel. When they came up. From Egypt. Well for 400 years. David or one of his descendants.

[3:07] Reigned on David's throne. Indeed his dynasty of kings. Was to be like a tree. That never ended. That went on living forever.

[3:18] And ever. But then that tree was cut down. Reduced to a stump in the ground. By the Babylonians. Who came and took.

[3:30] Judah and her king. Into captivity. She was conquered. And thereafter was ruled over by. Pagan kings.

[3:41] Not Davidic kings. And so for 600 years. The Davidic stump. Lay in the ground. Appearing to be altogether lifeless.

[3:52] A stump. Like dads would. Chop wood on. Or moms might put a potted plant. There it was. There didn't seem to be any life in it.

[4:03] And then. One silent night in Bethlehem. That stump. Gave. Life. To a shoot. A shoot. Came up from the stump of Jesse.

[4:14] And grew into a branch. The Lord Jesus Christ. Our Savior. Who is bearing. Wondrous fruit. Now this is the prophecy. That was given to Judah.

[4:26] And it was given to them. In times of distress. And despair. To keep faith alive. To keep hope alive. The Messiah. King of David. Is coming.

[4:37] And he will save us. And I suggest. That that is still. The message. For hope. In our despair. And faith.

[4:47] In our dark times. That Messiah. Jesus. Is coming back. And he will. Save us. Indeed. That is still.

[4:58] The blessed hope. The glorious appearing. Of our great God. And Savior. Jesus Christ. We need to fix our eyes. On Christ. The King. And that's what Isaiah.

[5:10] Eleven. Is doing for us. And it. Showed us. His ancestry. He's both the shoot. And the root. Of Jesse. He's both. The offspring.

[5:20] Of David. And. The one who gave. David. And Jesse. Life. We saw his equipping. That his humanity. Was gloriously equipped.

[5:31] By the spirit. Of the Lord. Resting on him. Equipping him. To carry out. His work. Of salvation. We saw his rule. He rules. In perfect righteousness.

[5:42] And justice. Jesus. He slays the wicked. He rewards. Those he chooses. By grace. And then we saw.

[5:52] The result. Of his reign. What is the end. Of his reign. It's a whole new world. It's where. Goats. And leopards. Are lying down.

[6:03] Together. It's a world. Of perfect peace. It's. It's a place. Where there's nothing. To harm. No one. To harm. Or to destroy. Anywhere. No fears. No tears.

[6:15] No sin. No curse. No death. Forever and ever. Jesus. Shall reign. That's the picture. That we get. In chapter 11. Of our great.

[6:25] Messiah. King. And those joys. Are to splash over. Into. Our life. Now. The joys. That will be experienced. Then. Are to affect. The way.

[6:36] That we go through. Hardships. Now. Or to do so. Looking. For that. Glorious. Reign. Of our savior. And anticipating it. So this is where our tears ought to take us.

[6:50] To our king. It's where our fears ought to point us to our king. It's where our sins. And all the effects of the curse that affect us. Ought to bring us. To Jesus Christ.

[7:01] Our king. But there's one more thing about this king in chapter 11. That. We didn't get to last week. And that's his people. Because what is a king.

[7:13] Without a people. Well. This king has a people. And. Here in. The end. Of chapter 11. We're told. About them. They're described for us.

[7:25] They're a gathered people. And there are people who are gathered by the king. Himself. Now. Remember what Isaiah's. Hearers. Are facing. They're facing.

[7:35] They're facing the mighty Assyrian empire to the east. Who's. Who's coming down and. And possibly already has. Completely destroyed the northern kingdom of Israel.

[7:46] And taking them off into captivity. And they're going to sweep right on down into Judah. And wreak. Devastation throughout their country.

[7:57] Only. They'll not be allowed to take Jerusalem. The waters will only come up to their. Neck. But then. Under the hands of the Babylonians.

[8:09] The waters will go over their heads. And they. And their king. Will go away. Into captivity. That's what's coming. That's what Isaiah is telling them. And is preparing them for.

[8:20] But what lies beyond. The exile. For Judah. When they're all sent away into captivity. Is there anything for Judah after that?

[8:32] Any future for Judah? And Isaiah says. Yes. There's a glorious future. For Judah. Because the Messiah king. Is coming. And he will gather.

[8:42] A remnant. From the exiles. Of Israel. And Judah. And he will also gather. Many people. From the Gentile nations. Now we need to see.

[8:54] That belonging. To the people. We're going to talk about. The people of Messiah. This morning. It's what Isaiah is talking about. And we need to see. That the people of Messiah.

[9:04] And belonging to the people of Messiah. Will have nothing to do. With being. A physical descendant of Abraham. I say. Will have nothing.

[9:15] To do. Absolutely. Zero. To do. With being. A physical descendant. Of Abraham. Of being. Of whether you're circumcised. Or uncircumcised. It has nothing to do.

[9:27] With being a Jew. Or a Gentile. Red or yellow. Black or white. It will have. Everything to do. With your relationship. To the Messiah King. Everything to do.

[9:39] Have you repented. Of your sins. And trusted in him. To save you. If so. You're one of his people. Doesn't matter. Whatever else is true. Or isn't true of you. If that's true of you.

[9:50] You belong. To Messiah's. People. Did you. Receive him. As he's offered. To you in the gospel. As a prophet. To teach you. The way to live.

[10:01] And the things to believe. As a priest. To die for your sins. And to represent you. To God. As a. As a king. To rule over your life. And to defend you.

[10:14] The one thing. That matters. Is this. Have you been saved. By the Messiah King. If so. You belong. To his people. You're a part of this. New. Covenant. Israel.

[10:25] Of God. You're part of this. Newly constituted. Israel. Of God. In whom are fulfilled. All the promises. Now that's something. That many Jews.

[10:36] Had a hard time. Swallowing. For so long. They. Had been set apart. From all the nations. As God's special people. That had special privileges.

[10:50] But that Gentiles. And Jews. Should be together. In Jesus. One fold. Equal. Brothers. Equal shares.

[11:03] In all the promises. That was hard. For them. To swallow. Indeed. That was something. Not appreciated. By many. Jewish Christians.

[11:14] In the New Testament. Even Peter. And Barnabas. Had difficulty. Swallowing that one. Didn't they? We see in Acts 15. The trouble. That that brought.

[11:25] To the church. And Galatians 2. Jew. And this is still. Something. Hard to appreciate. By many of our. Dispensationalist friends. Today.

[11:37] Who hold. That God. Has. Always. Kept Jew. And Gentile. Apart. And so. God. Is pursuing. Two different. Plans. And purposes. In the world. One. Is for the.

[11:48] The Jews. And the other. Is for the Gentiles. And those. Two plans. Don't meet. There's separate. Promises. For separate. Peoples. And these.

[11:58] Two plans. Run right. Through the ages. But that's not. What Isaiah. Tells us. And it's not. What the prophets. Tell us. They rather. Tell us. That God. Has only.

[12:09] And always. Been pursuing. One. Plan. Of redemption. To call. To himself. A people. Yes. It began. With the Jew. To the Jew. First.

[12:20] And from. Them. The plan. From the. Very. Get-go. Was. That through. Them. A Messiah. Would come. And bring. Salvation. Blessings. To all.

[12:30] The nations. Jews. And Gentiles. Alike. And that. Jesus. Messiah. Would gather. Them. All together. Into one. Body.

[12:41] And he. Be the king. Shepherd. Over them. All. In Christ. Gentiles. Have been. Grafted. Into. The new. Israel.

[12:52] Of God. We're as much. A part. Of Israel. As any. Jew. With. Abraham's. Blood. In him. If. He. And I. Have trusted. In the savior.

[13:02] We're one. In Christ. Jesus. And so. What we find. In. Isaiah. Eleven. And what we'll see. Throughout. The prophets.

[13:13] Not just. Isaiah. Is that when they spoke. About this. Restoration. You're going to go. Into exile. But then. There's going to be. A restoration. When God. Brings you. Back. Into the land. When they speak.

[13:25] Of that. That happened. Literally. And God. Gathered some. Back. In the land. It was just. A few thousand. It was a small. Thing. But. When they speak. Of that. Restoration.

[13:36] It was some. They speak. Of it. As. In terms. Of something. That's huge. That's. Worldwide. Where God. Is bringing. Back. A people. To himself. From all.

[13:47] The nations. And it. Far outstrips. Whatever. Was done. Under Ezra. And Nehemiah. Coming back. With the Jews. Into the land. And so.

[13:58] What we have. Is a picture. And a type. In Israel. Israel. Is sent away. Into captivity. And God. Gathers them. Back to himself.

[14:10] Why. They go into captivity. Because of their sins. And there. They had to experience. The anger. And wrath. Of God. And then. They would be brought. Back. Into. The promised land.

[14:22] That was pure grace. That God brought. Any of them back. That he brought. A remnant back. And so. It's a picture. Of the far. Greater. Restoration. That God. Is doing.

[14:32] In Jesus Christ. In calling. A people. Together. Jew. And Gentile. To be. His holy. Bride. Forever. And ever.

[14:43] And folks. That's. How we get. Into the picture. That's why. The whole book. Is our story. This is your story. If you're in Christ. This is my story. And.

[14:54] It's because. Messiah. Gathers. Jew. And Gentile. Into. His family. His church. His. Israel.

[15:05] Of God. Now. That's the. The big picture. Let's get started. And notice. In the first place. The one who is gathering. Who's the one gathering. And what we see. Is it's this. Messiah.

[15:15] King. It's this. Messiah. King. That has been. Come forth. From the root of Jesse. And notice. In verse 10. He's called.

[15:26] A banner. In that day. The root of Jesse. Will stand. As a banner. For the peoples. And the nations. Will rally. To him. And his place.

[15:36] Of rest. Will be glorious. Now. You know. What a banner is. Before most. Of our. Athletic events. We hear. Our national anthem.

[15:48] The star. Spangled. Banner. A banner. Is a flag. And ours. Is spangled. With stars. Representing the states. Well.

[15:58] A banner. Is a flag. And it bore. Often bore. The insignia. Of the king. And it was often. Used to gather. Peoples. Together.

[16:10] Sometimes. Banners. Were lifted up. As a call. To arms. A call. To. To gather. The troops. For war. When those. Loyal. To the king. Would rally.

[16:21] Round. The banner. And offer. Themselves. Up. In service. To their king. So in that day. Some. Undisclosed.

[16:31] Day. In the future. When. A shoot. Comes up. From the stump. Of Jesse. In that day. Messiah's day. He will stand. As a banner.

[16:42] For the peoples. And the nations. Will rally. To him. Now what a vision. Of Messiah's day. As he gathers together.

[16:53] The people of God. He's lifted up. And it's not just the Jews. And the exiles. And the remnant of Jews. That are. That are rallying to him. No. It's the nations.

[17:04] Rallying to him. The Gentiles. It's a welcome. To all the nations. To come. To this. Glorious. Savior. Now.

[17:15] Hold your place here. And turn to chapter 49. And verse 6. This whole. Idea. And theme. Of the Gentiles. Being gathered.

[17:26] To the Lord Jesus. Is a theme. That runs right. Through this book. And we're going to see it. Many places. I just want you to notice. This one other place. In the book. Chapter 49. And verse 6.

[17:38] Where the Lord says. To his servant. Messiah. It is. Too small. A thing. For you. To be my servant. To restore. The tribes. Of Jacob. And to bring back.

[17:49] Those of Israel. I have kept. I will also. Make you a light. For the Gentiles. That you may. Bring my salvation. To the ends.

[17:59] Of the earth. Yes. He will bring back. A remnant. From Judah. And Israel. But. This work. Of salvation. Is. Is too big.

[18:10] And just. Saving. These. Of Israel. And Judah. That would be too small. Of a thing. No. I'm going to make you a light. For the Gentiles.

[18:21] And so he says. Down in verse 22. This is what the sovereign Lord says. See. I will beckon. To the Gentiles. I will lift up my banner. To the peoples.

[18:32] Now that's what God says. He will do. And he lifts up. This. Messiah. Jesus. As a banner. To beckon. All peoples. Whoever you are. Come to this.

[18:43] Deliverer. Just as a banner. Was lifted up. Just as a serpent. Was lifted up. In the wilderness. So the son of man.

[18:55] Must be lifted up. That everyone. Who believes. On him. Should not perish. But have everlasting life. The same Jesus.

[19:07] Said in John chapter 12. But I. When I. Am lifted up. I will draw. All men. To myself. And the all men.

[19:20] Doesn't mean. Every single individual. In the world. It means all kinds of men. If you read the chapter. You'll see that some Greeks. Had come. And said. We want to see Jesus. Greeks.

[19:32] With the Jewish Messiah. To some. That didn't fit. Gentiles. With a Jewish Messiah. And Jesus says. When I'm lifted up. All men.

[19:43] From all the nations. Will be gathered. To me. I will draw them. To me. The.

[19:55] Gentiles. As well as Jews. Now. John. John. Tells us there. That being lifted up. Showed what kind of death. Jesus would die. The death of the cross. And so the cross.

[20:06] Of the Messiah. Becomes the drawing card. Becomes the great attraction. Around which. All the peoples. From. Peoples.

[20:17] From all the nations. Will rally. And come to be saved. By this. Messiah. King. King. The Messiah. Dying.

[20:28] On the cross. In the place. Of his people. That's the. That's the traction. No wonder. They rally. Around his banner. What a king. He dies. For. Rebellious.

[20:39] Subjects. That refuse. To obey. The shepherd. Dies. For sheep. That love. To wonder. What self-denying. Love. For his people.

[20:50] Who wouldn't. Serve. This king. Who wouldn't. Rally. Around. This banner. No wonder. They come. So gladly. No wonder. They come. From all the nations. No wonder. They come.

[21:00] So willingly. And count. His service. True joy. And his. Commandments. True liberty. So the banner. Is being lifted up.

[21:11] Today folks. Wherever the gospel. Goes. Of Christ. And him. Crucified. The banner. Is being lifted up. And nations. Are rallying. To him. In fulfillment.

[21:22] Of Isaiah. Chapter 11. Oh. They're trickling. Into him. From the Muslim nations. They're trickling. In from Europe. And from the United States.

[21:32] And the West. But they are streaming. In. From Asia. In China. Alone. It's estimated. There are. One hundred. Million.

[21:44] Believers. In Jesus. Rallying. Round. The banner. Jesus Christ. Has drawn them. From the nations. In our generation.

[21:54] Has drawn them. To himself. They are part. Of the people. Of Messiah. Oh.

[22:05] Say. Does that star-spangled banner. Yet wave. For the land of the free. And the home of the brave. Francis Scott Key. Wrote. As he. Was on an enemy ship.

[22:16] And ship. Fought. Fired. Against his. His fort. All. Through the night. And through the blast. He could see. The star-spangled banner. Still waving. Folks.

[22:26] The. The banner. Of Christ crucified. Is still on the field. Today. And it's. It's waving. And it's giving hope. To sinners. Who are not free. And to cowards.

[22:39] Who don't believe. It's giving hope. You see. The banner. Of the cross. Is rallying. The people. And where are they coming? Notice.

[22:49] They. They come to his place of rest. That will be glorious. His place of rest. Will be glorious. He's calling them to. To. Enjoy his own.

[23:00] Glorious place of rest. Well. We've just read about it. Where wolf. And lamb. And lion. And bear. And calf. Lie down together. And. And there's no harm.

[23:12] What a place of rest. It's pictured out for us. There. Isn't it? And where there's no sin. And curse. It's a place of rest. So. The Lord Jesus. Is lifted up.

[23:22] And he stands. With arms outstretched. Come to me. All you who labor. And are heavy laden. And I will give you what? Rest. Glorious rest.

[23:33] Rest for your souls. Rest. Where you know. That between. Me and God. There's peace. Peace. And all my guilt. Has been atoned for. Yes.

[23:44] He welcomes them. To his glorious. Peace. His rest. Have you come to Christ. The Messiah. Have you responded.

[23:55] To this glorious. Savior. Have you become. One of his people. Have you rallied. To him. Offering yourself up. To. To. To serve him. Forever. Forever.

[24:07] Is so. This passage. Is about you. It's about you. And if not. Why not. Why haven't you rallied. To him. Why don't you come. To him right now.

[24:19] The banner. Still. Waving. His arms. Are still open. To receive sinners. No matter who they are. Or where they're from. Trust in him.

[24:30] The apostle Paul. Quotes this verse. In Romans 15. To show that. He believes. That he was living. In the time. Of the fulfillment. Of this text. As he preached. The gospel.

[24:40] To Gentiles. They came streaming. To the Lord Jesus. So we've seen. The one gathering. The one gathering. God's people together.

[24:51] Is Jesus. The Messiah. And we've also seen. That the people. Being gathered. Are Gentiles. From all the nations. As well as. Jews. In exile.

[25:01] Both those. In the northern kingdom. Of Israel. That went off. To Syria. And other places. And those. In the southern kingdom. Of Judah. Taken away. Under the Babylonians. The Lord Jesus.

[25:13] Will gather. From them. A people. For himself. Verse 11. Tells us. In that day. The Lord. Will reach out. His hand. A second time. To reclaim.

[25:23] The remnant. That's left. Of his people. From all these. Different places. In the world. He will reach out. His hand. Why were they.

[25:35] In exile. Because of their sins. Against God. And now. They're suffering. The punishment. They deserve. Why will they be gathered back? Pure grace. Pure grace.

[25:47] Could have left them all there. To just suffer forever. To never come back. Into the land. But it's grace. That brought some back. And that's the picture. You see. Of salvation.

[25:57] Of Jesus. Salvation. Why are we under wrath? Because we sinned. Against God. And it's not a small thing. To sin against God. We all deserve.

[26:08] Just to be. In hell forever. But God. Has gathered. Some people. To himself. Why? Because of his grace. He would not only have. Monuments.

[26:19] To his wrath. For eternity. He would have. Monuments. To his mercy. Forever. And ever. So he's called us. He's drawn us. And we've come.

[26:29] To the savior. And so. There's no self. Help. Salvation here. We were helpless.

[26:40] Prisoners of war. And God. Will reach out his hand. To save them. Notice he reaches out. His hand and saves. That's his action. Isn't it? It's what he does.

[26:50] And it's said that he'll do that. A second time. And he'll reach out his hand. A second time. The first time he reached out his hand. To deliver his people. Where were they? They were down in Egypt. And they were in captivity there.

[27:02] And God stretched out his mighty hand. In ten plagues. And that great act. At the Red Sea. And he brought them out. Of bondage.

[27:12] In Egypt. And now he's going to do it a second time. And reach out his hand. And bring his captives. Back. And this second time. Is going to be. Not just from one nation.

[27:22] In Egypt. It's going to be from all these different nations. All the islands of the sea. All these places. And the new exodus. From many nations. Is going to be so much greater.

[27:34] Than the first exodus. That they'll no longer be speaking. About the first exodus. They'll now be speaking. Of this second exodus. This greater. Worldwide. Exodus.

[27:44] Where Christ brings out his people. From the nations. So one day. Jesus takes Peter, James and John. Up on a mountain. And he's transfigured before them.

[27:56] And his face. And his clothing. Were shining. And there's Moses. And Elijah. And they're talking with Jesus. About his exodus.

[28:08] Which is soon to take place. At Jerusalem. Because at Jerusalem. Jesus would die on the cross. And be raised from the dead. And through his work.

[28:19] He would be the greater than Moses. Who would lead out. Of sin's dominion. A whole people. Into the freedom. And the liberty. Of the children of God. Yes.

[28:30] A greater exodus. When God reaches out his hand. A second time. And notice. It's worldwide.

[28:40] Verse 12. He'll raise a banner again. He's repeating it. For the nations. That is for the Gentiles. And gather the exiles of Israel. The northern kingdom. And will assemble the scattered people of Judah.

[28:51] The southern kingdom. From the four quarters. Of the earth. So that. In the end. What do we have? We have Jesus Christ. And we have Gentiles and Jews. Together. In Jesus fold.

[29:05] We'll bump into this reality. Over and over again. In Isaiah. He keeps speaking of the nations. Chapter 19. He talks of the day when the Egyptians.

[29:16] And the Assyrians. Will worship the Lord together. In that day. Israel will be the third. Along with. Egypt. And Assyria.

[29:27] A blessing on the earth. The Lord Almighty. Will bless them saying. Blessed be Egypt. My people. Assyria. My handiwork. And Israel.

[29:39] My inheritance. If God calls Egypt. My people. It can mean one thing. It means that God has brought. Egyptians. Into his covenant. He marks them out.

[29:49] He puts his name on them. Calls them. My people. So. No longer. Is it just to be Jews. Who are in. The people of God.

[30:00] But now. Gentile and Jew together. And that has ever been the plan. Of God. And it will be carried out. Through Messiah. And it is being carried out.

[30:11] Today. As his gospel goes. To Bremen. And goes to China. And in every other nation. Of the world. Now. Thirdly.

[30:23] Not only who's gathering. And who is he gathering. But notice those gathered. Are united. Verses 13 and 14. Those who are gathered. Are united. They're not kept separate.

[30:36] Okay. You wolves stay over here. And you lambs stay over here. No. They're brought together. Those gathered. Are united. We've seen how the old hostilities. Are removed.

[30:46] Under Messiah's reign. And now we see the old jealousies. Are removed. In Messiah's reign. And as he gathers his people together. They are made one. Isaiah here speaks.

[30:58] In 13 and 14. Of the age old jealousy. Between the tribes of Israel. It was jealousy. That led to the squirmishes.

[31:08] And civil wars. Between them. And eventually led them. To the splitting. Of the kingdom. Where 10 of the tribes. Decided to. Leave. Rebel against.

[31:20] The kingdom of David. And left. So now you had. 10 tribes. And a new kingdom. To the north. And two tribes. On the southern. A split. It was a. It was a nasty. Remembrance.

[31:32] Of sin. And jealousy. Upon Israel's history. It was their civil war. That led. To this. Splitting. Of the kingdom. And now. When Messiah comes.

[31:43] And gathers people together. What do we find? We find the people. Of Ephraim. The northern kingdom. Coming together with. Judah. The southern kingdom.

[31:54] You see how. How. He puts that. Messiah's work. Is one of unifying. And bringing together. Those that were divided. Even. The long standing. Divisions. Such as were.

[32:05] Between Ephraim. And. Judah. And so. He says. Ephraim's. Jealousy. Will vanish. And Judah's. Enemies. Will be cut off. Ephraim. Will not be jealous. Of Judah.

[32:16] Nor Judah. Hostile. Toward. Ephraim. He takes. The jealousy. Away. They. The ten tribes. Left. But they.

[32:26] Left Jerusalem. They were jealous. Of the worship. In Jerusalem. And so. They. They created. Their own. Worship. And that. Led to all sorts. Of different problems. But there was. Jealousy. And they were. Fighting over. Property. And fighting over.

[32:37] Land. And towns. But under. Messiah. The people of Judah. And the people. Of Israel. Will be. Reunited. Under one. Leader.

[32:48] Hosea. Says. So. Also. With the. Jealousies. And hostilities. Between the Jews. And the Gentiles. Those differences. That middle wall.

[32:58] Of partition. It must be. Torn down. Under Messiah. And they will be. Brought together. As one. People. How sad.

[33:09] Are conflicts. Among God's people. Messiah. Is going to. Put an end. To all of that. Notice. When you see.

[33:19] Conflict. Among. God's people. The. Place. Of jealousy. That's earmarked. For us. Here. The jealousy. Between. The two. And very often.

[33:30] When there's problems. Among God's people. You'll find. One. Jealous. Of. The other. And that's at the bottom. Of. Divisions. But it's on its way out.

[33:42] Under Messiah's reign. For in Christ. There's no Greek. Or Jew. That was a huge division. There's no circumcised. Or uncircumcised. There's no barbarian. Scythian. Slave. Or free.

[33:53] But Christ is all. And is in all. And because he's in all. They're all one. In Christ. Jesus. So the divisive factions.

[34:03] Are obliterated. In Christ. So let the peace of Christ. Rule in your heart. Since as members. Of one body. You were called to peace. And be thankful.

[34:14] Now that's being fulfilled. In part. Now. But it will be fulfilled. In perfection. When Jesus comes. And when it happens.

[34:29] What you have is. Instead of fighting. With each other. They join hands. And fight against the real enemies. Verse 14. So. With the jealousies. And hostilities. Between Ephraim. And Judah gone. They will unite.

[34:40] And fight together. Against their enemies. And conquer them. And so what's happening today. Jews and Gentiles. And Jesus fold. And the gospels going out.

[34:52] And it's conquering. Enemies. Of Satan's kingdom. And they're being gathered. Into Jesus kingdom.

[35:02] This is a gospel imperialism. That we see here. Where the gospel. Is on the move. Spreading. And sinners. Are being converted. Spreading the kingdom of Messiah. Not with swords loud clashing.

[35:14] Or roll of stirring drums. But with deeds of love. And kindness. The heavenly kingdom comes. And so it's with the gospel. Loving neighbor. The gospel. Is triumphing.

[35:25] Seeing. Enemies. Overcome. Brought to Christ. There's that enemy. Saul of Tarsus. And he's. He's brought down. And he's brought into the kingdom of Christ.

[35:37] Kingdom of darkness. Falling. Be beneath the power of the gospel of Jesus. How. As the church unites. And strives not against one another. But strives together.

[35:49] For the faith of the gospel. Taking the gospel. To the nations. So the church's unity is important. For her fighting. The real enemy. The kingdom of darkness.

[36:03] And already now. Sinful divisions. And rivalries. Are being. Swallowed up. But in heaven. It will. Be altogether gone.

[36:14] Under Messiah's reign. No president. Has been able to bring together. Republicans. And. And Democrats. And Messiah. Will bring Presbyterians.

[36:25] And Baptists together. All the things. That divided. And the nasty. Sinful divisions. Where those exist. They'll be gone. They'll be. Forever gone. Under Messiah.

[36:36] And so we're to live now. In the light of that day. We're to seek peace. With all men. And we're to enjoy. The king's unity. More and more now. In our marriages. In our local church.

[36:48] In our relations. With all the gathered people. Of God. Wherever they are. Because Messiah. Brings. His gathered people. Into one. Body.

[37:00] And then lastly. Nothing can keep them. From being gathered. We see this. In the last two verses. Nothing can keep them. From being gathered. Now that's not to say. There are no obstacles.

[37:10] To his people. Being gathered. There are many. There's plenty. Of difficulties. Things that are impossible. To men. But they won't keep Messiah. From gathering his people. To that greatest.

[37:21] Of all homecomings. Why? Because Messiah's. Mighty arm. Will make a highway. For them. To travel on. Where every obstacle. Will be.

[37:32] Plowed through. Filled in. And his people. Will make their way home. So there was a great obstacle. Blocking the redemption. Of his people.

[37:43] Out of Egypt. Do you remember that? There they are. Exiles in Egypt. How are they going to be restored? There's a huge obstacle. It's called the Red Sea. Here it's referred to. As the Egyptian Sea.

[37:53] The Egyptian Sea. So. So. Can God not. Bring his people out. Of bondage. In Egypt. Because of this obstacle.

[38:06] Well. He just made a highway. Right through the Red Sea. Didn't he? That's what the Bible tells us. And it says it over and over. That we might remember that. What obstacle.

[38:18] Is standing in the way. Of. Of bringing that sinner. Home to. To Jesus. Is if they're one of his people. Chosen before the creation of the world. There is no obstacle. There's. A way through the Red Sea.

[38:29] A highway. Made through the Red Sea. So that they traveled on dry ground. And then when they came to the flooded Jordan. As they were ready to come into the promised land. How we.

[38:39] Well I guess we can't go in. No. The waters piled up. And they walked over on dry ground. You see. Whatever obstacles. To keep God's people. From coming. To the promised land.

[38:50] They're removed. Because a highway is made. Through the trouble. Chapter 51. Isaiah says. He made a road. In the depths of the sea. So that his redeemed. Might cross over.

[39:02] He who made a way. Through the sea. A path. Through the mighty waters. Is going to do a new thing. Making a way. In the desert. And so he says here. In verse 16.

[39:13] There will be a highway. For the remnant. Of his. Of his people. That is left. From Assyria. Just as there was. For Israel. When they came up. From Egypt. Now. Here they are. In Assyria.

[39:24] In captivity. And between them. And the promised land. There runs the great. Mighty Euphrates River. We've got a new obstacle. It was the. It was the Red Sea. That kept them. From coming up.

[39:34] From Egypt. But now. There is this great. Euphrates River. Oh no. I guess we can't. Have these people. Get back. To the promised land. No. God says.

[39:46] Just with a wave. Of the hand. A strong. Scorching wind. Will come. And will strike. The Euphrates. And break it up. Into seven. Little streams.

[39:57] That a man can walk across. In his sandals. Just as he. Made a way. Through the Red Sea. He'll. Make a way. Through all the obstacles. That will keep his people.

[40:07] From coming. Home. To Jesus Christ. Christ. The Lord. Will make a highway. Home. Now Isaiah.

[40:19] Is pointing us. To the greatest. Deliverance of all. What. What are these Old Testament. Deliverances. Given to us for. They. They picture to us. The greatest. Deliverance of all. We need to be saved. Not from Egypt.

[40:30] Not from Assyria. But from our sin. From Satan. From the eternal. Wrath of God. And there are huge obstacles.

[40:42] In our way. Can it be done? And Isaiah. Points us. To. This. Shoot.

[40:52] Coming up. From the stump of Jesse. Yes. He'll get the job done. Yes. He will. Tear down. Every obstacle. He will make. A highway. For his people.

[41:03] To be redeemed. He'll be raised. Up as a banner. And a mighty homecoming. Will follow. From every nation. They'll pour into him.

[41:14] And when the Lord. Draws them to him. Nothing can stop them. From being gathered. What we cannot do. He will do. A highway.

[41:24] Right through the obstacle. Red Sea. No problem. Highway. Euphrates River. Highway. Flooding. Jordan. Highway. Well.

[41:35] What obstacles. Stand in the way. Of you getting home. Dear. Chosen. Sinner. Dear ransom. To the Lord. What stands in the way.

[41:46] Of getting. God's people. Home to Jesus. Well there's huge. Obstacles. That keep the sinner. From Christ. Here he stands. As a banner. Come to me. And enter into my rest.

[41:56] But. The sinner. Loves his sin. He's got a. A wicked. Sinful nature. That loves sin. And hates. Christ. In his ways. And he's got prejudices.

[42:07] Against. The Christian religion. Perhaps. Maybe he's got. Generations. After generations. Of being. A Hindu. A Muslim. Huge. Obstacles. How.

[42:20] How is Jesus. Going to get. Pull this off. How is he going to. Gather. Them home. To this great. Homecoming. There's. That self-righteous.

[42:30] Jew. Saul of Tarsus. He hates. Jesus Christ. And his people. How are we going to. Gather him home. Well the Lord. Met him.

[42:41] And the road. To Damascus. Became a highway. Home to Jesus. Didn't it. And there's. Communistic. Atheism. In China. Where from infancy. They're taught. There is no God.

[42:52] There is no God. There is no God. It's just. Naturalistic. Humanism. How are we going to. Bring them. Just a wave. Of the hand.

[43:03] Hundred. Million. Of them. Coming home. They're on the highway. Right now. Coming home. And there are those. Muslim lands. With centuries.

[43:13] Of hostilities. Toward. Christianity. The infidels. That's what we are. To them. How will they ever. Be gathered in. Just a word. Just a wave. Of the hand.

[43:24] Give them up. He'll say. I will say. To the north. Chapter 43. Six. Give them up. And to the south. Do not hold them back.

[43:35] Bring my sons. From afar. And my daughters. From the ends. Of the earth. And they will come. And will be gathered. Beneath the banner. Of the cross. You will hear.

[43:46] Pagan Gentiles. Who knew nothing. Of Jesus. Crying out. What shall I. What must I do. To be saved. Yes.

[43:58] That will happen. Indeed. It is happening. It has happened. And this highway. That we read of here. Runs right through. The book of Isaiah. This highway. We'll keep.

[44:10] Seeing this highway. Chapter 35. Verse 8. A highway. Will be there. It will be called. The way of holiness. The unclean. Will not journey on it. It will be for those. Who walk.

[44:21] In the way. Wicked fools. Will not go about it. No lion. Will be there. Nor will any. Ferocious beast. Get up on it. They will not. Be found there.

[44:31] But only the redeemed. Will walk. There. And the ransom. To the Lord. Will return. And they will enter.

[44:43] Zion was singing. Everlasting. Joy. Will crown their heads. Gladness and joy. Will overtake them. And sorrow and sighing. Will flee away. Where? On the highway. That leads to heaven.

[44:55] In chapter 40. He tells us. Of a voice of one. Calling in the desert. Prepare the way. For the Lord. In the wilderness. Make a highway.

[45:05] For our God. And the glory of the Lord. Will be revealed. And so. John the Baptist. Arose. And he was. The one man.

[45:16] An excavation crew. And every. High thing was being brought down. And every low thing brought up. And this. The rough was being made smooth. Prepare the way for the Lord. He said. Repent.

[45:27] The kingdom of God is at hand. The highway. The highway. Is here. Is here. Get ready for the Lord. And the glory of the Lord. Was revealed.

[45:38] The shoot came up. The branch. Appeared. And Jesus stood before the crowds and said. I. Am. The way.

[45:49] I am the highway. And no one gets to the Father. Except. Through me. This highway gathering all these people from the nations who believe in Jesus.

[46:01] He's the way to God. Are you on the highway this morning? Have you come to Christ? Are you traveling the highway of holiness home?

[46:13] It's a narrow way. It's a lonely way in that there's not a lot of people on it. The broad way is for the many and it leads to destruction. But Jesus is the highway and you have his presence and his presence gives you peace and rest.

[46:30] Will you be among those who are gathered from all over the world from every grave? Give them up, he'll say, and they'll come. The angels will bring them from the four quarters of the earth and they'll come.

[46:46] This great homecoming. Homecoming, no one, nothing, not even the grave will be able to keep them from coming. When's all this going to happen?

[46:58] When is this prophecy fulfilled? You want to know? Well, some of it was fulfilled when Jesus was born, when the shoot came up from the stump of Jesse and his first coming.

[47:10] When much of this prophecy was fulfilled, but things are said in chapter 11. That await his second coming. And yet Isaiah speaks of it all is that day when Messiah comes.

[47:25] And that's the way the prophets often spoke. It's referred to as the telescopic view of prophecy. That they saw it from a distance. And so they spoke of these things together.

[47:37] Things that Christ would do at his first coming and things that he would do at his second coming. They spoke of it as one event. The coming day of Messiah. If you were way far away from me and I held my two fingers up like this.

[47:54] And I asked you, how close are my fingers? Well, when you look directly at them, they look like they're pretty close together. But when you get up close and you look, you see, oh, there's actually a lot of room between the two of them.

[48:08] Well, that's the way that the prophets saw the coming day of Messiah. They saw it as one. They saw these two bumps and they thought those mountains were all part of the same mountain chain. And they're real close together.

[48:21] But as we come with further light and we get closer and closer in the New Testament, we have further information. What we find is there's a lot of space between those two mountains of Jesus first coming.

[48:33] Messiah's first coming. His anointing. And then his second coming. In fact, there's already been 2000 years between those mountains. And yet when the prophet speaks of them, he speaks of them as the same event.

[48:50] And we must remember that as we make our way through the prophets, that they often speak of the day of Messiah in one month. And it's only the New Testament light that enables us to see more clearly that some things were accomplished in his first coming.

[49:08] Yes, he was lifted up. Yes, he is still gathering people to to the banner. But one day the last one will be gathered in and he will slay the wicked.

[49:20] And it will be the end of all sin and wickedness and sorrow and sadness will flee away forever. And and gladness and joy will overtake us and and will abound forever and ever when Jesus comes back.

[49:35] That's what we look forward to. And even as that coming of the Messiah, the first time was held up to Israel to be their encouragement going through hard times.

[49:46] So let us ever look for the coming of Messiah. And all the things he will bring us. Most importantly himself. For we're being gathered to a person who is himself the banner, who is himself the reward.

[50:02] And if you're one of his people, you have the privilege of gathering others because whoever is with him, whoever is not with him is against him.

[50:14] And who's ever not gathering is scattering. So we gather others and we tell others to come and to join this happy throng. We sing of that in number 400, 493 in our hymnal.

[50:34] Who is on the Lord's side? Who is rallied round the banner? Well, it's those that he is drawn by his irresistible grace. Let's stand and give him the praise.

[50:45] Let's pray. Lord Jesus, you were lifted up to gather and draw us to yourself. And so we worship you. We have come from this nation to worship you, to bring you our praise.

[51:00] And we recognize that that is all of grace. That we're around the banner of the cross today. That we look forward to a day of perfect peace.

[51:11] When all of our troubles are behind us. And sorrows and sighing will be forgotten forever. And so we rejoice in you today that that is our lot.

[51:22] It will help us to walk in the unity of the brethren that will know in that day. And cause divisions more and more to be swallowed up until we stand at your feet and bow before you.

[51:35] Bring others, Lord, to help us to be gathering others to the Savior. Gather them today wherever your gospel is preached. Bring them into the glorious joy and liberty of the children of God.

[51:49]  Even the children of this great Messiah. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.