O Come, O Come Emmanuel (Isaiah 7:10-20; 9:6-7)

WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.439 --> 00:00:06.799 Let's hear God's word from the book of Isaiah. This morning. I'm two 2 00:00:06.839 --> 00:00:12.310 places at First Isaiah, Chapter Seven, verse fourteen, and then a few 3 00:00:12.429 --> 00:00:19.390 verses in chapter nine. I'm actually going to start in verse ten, Isaiah, 4 00:00:19.429 --> 00:00:27.579 Verse Ten again, the Lord spoke to Ahas. Ask a sign of 5 00:00:27.620 --> 00:00:31.500 the Lord your God. Let it be as deep as she'll or as high 6 00:00:31.539 --> 00:00:36.649 as heaven. But a has says, said, I will not ask and 7 00:00:36.729 --> 00:00:40.609 I will not put the Lord to the test. And he said here then, 8 00:00:40.729 --> 00:00:44.170 Oh House of David, is it too little for you to weary men, 9 00:00:44.329 --> 00:00:48.289 that you weary my God. Also, therefore, the Lord himself will 10 00:00:48.329 --> 00:00:53.079 give you a sign. Behold, the Virgin shall conceive and bear a son 11 00:00:53.679 --> 00:00:58.759 and shall call his name Emmanuel. He shall eat cards and honey when he 12 00:00:58.920 --> 00:01:03.439 knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good. For for before the 13 00:01:03.560 --> 00:01:07.750 boy knows how to refuse the evil and choose the good, the land whose 14 00:01:07.790 --> 00:01:12.950 two kings you dread will be deserted. The Lord will bring upon you and 15 00:01:14.109 --> 00:01:18.620 upon your people and upon your father's house. Such days is have not come 16 00:01:18.780 --> 00:01:23.900 since that, the day that Ephraim departed from Judah, the king of Assyria. 17 00:01:23.980 --> 00:01:27.099 In that day the Lord will whistle for the fly that isn't the end 18 00:01:27.180 --> 00:01:30.099 end of the streams of Egypt, and for the bee that is in the 19 00:01:30.140 --> 00:01:36.170 land of Assyria, and they will all come and settle in the steep ravines 20 00:01:36.609 --> 00:01:40.370 and in the clefts of the rocks and on the Thorn Bushes and all the 21 00:01:40.489 --> 00:01:45.329 pastures. In that day, the Lord will shave with a razor that is 22 00:01:45.450 --> 00:01:49.239 higher beyond the river, with the King of Assyria, the head and the 23 00:01:49.359 --> 00:01:55.200 hair of the feet, and will sweep away the beard also. will end 24 00:01:55.239 --> 00:01:59.879 there for the moment. Let's turn over to chapter nine, versus six and 25 00:02:00.040 --> 00:02:08.789 seven, of the same book, book of Isaiah. Isaiah nine, verse 26 00:02:08.990 --> 00:02:14.229 six. For unto us a child is born, to us, a son 27 00:02:14.430 --> 00:02:19.419 is given, and the government shall be upon his shoulder and his name shall 28 00:02:19.460 --> 00:02:27.699 be called wonderful counselor mighty God, everlasting father, Prince of peace, of 29 00:02:27.819 --> 00:02:31.689 the increase of his government and of peace. There will be no end on 30 00:02:31.810 --> 00:02:37.610 the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold 31 00:02:37.610 --> 00:02:42.330 it with justice and with righteousness. From this time forth and forevermore, the 32 00:02:42.409 --> 00:02:47.400 zeal of the Lord of hosts will do this. Amen. You may be 33 00:02:47.520 --> 00:03:07.229 seated. If you would like, you can also, in addition to your 34 00:03:07.270 --> 00:03:10.990 bibles, open up your hymnals to page one hundred and ninety four. Oh 35 00:03:12.069 --> 00:03:15.379 come, oh come, Emmanuel, I'm going to be I'm referencing the verses 36 00:03:16.219 --> 00:03:25.539 in this hymn. As we consider these passages in Isaiah, the songs that 37 00:03:25.699 --> 00:03:31.050 we sing at Christmas, Christmas time, or some of the most popular songs 38 00:03:31.090 --> 00:03:37.530 of all time. They are things that we look forward to singing and when 39 00:03:37.530 --> 00:03:42.599 we finally get around to Christmas time, we're often very excited. But what 40 00:03:42.840 --> 00:03:47.039 do they mean? What do we believe about them? Do we believe what 41 00:03:47.159 --> 00:03:54.280 they say, or are we just mouthing the words? Over the next few 42 00:03:54.280 --> 00:03:59.110 weeks, I want to help you think through some of our most favorite expressions 43 00:03:59.150 --> 00:04:03.069 of faith as we know them, and Christmas carols. I want to help 44 00:04:03.110 --> 00:04:08.189 you understand even better what they mean, so that your heart might be more 45 00:04:08.509 --> 00:04:12.939 in tune with the king, that we might be strengthened for his service, 46 00:04:13.900 --> 00:04:17.420 so that when we sing, we might not sing with empty minds and empty 47 00:04:17.579 --> 00:04:21.860 hearts, but we might understand what we're singing and know what we're saying believe 48 00:04:23.019 --> 00:04:28.290 what we sing. Today, I want to think through with you. The 49 00:04:29.889 --> 00:04:34.649 OCAMO. Come Emmanuel, it's twelve century hymn, originally written in Latin, 50 00:04:34.730 --> 00:04:43.120 a hymn that is a haunting hymn that has a plaintiveness to it. It 51 00:04:44.879 --> 00:04:48.240 cries out that God with us, Emmanuel, would come and be with us 52 00:04:48.639 --> 00:04:55.910 and do his saving work. Oh come, oh come Emmanuel, expresses these 53 00:04:56.230 --> 00:05:04.870 two biblical themes simultaneously, our desperation and great need, and then also the 54 00:05:04.990 --> 00:05:11.779 joyful hope that comes in God's salvation. I want to think through this, 55 00:05:12.019 --> 00:05:17.420 that we might think critically, we might think about the him and ask ourselves, 56 00:05:17.500 --> 00:05:23.009 do we believe these things? Are they biblical? Is this what scripture 57 00:05:23.089 --> 00:05:28.050 teaches? How will we be changed by it? Oh come, oh come 58 00:05:28.810 --> 00:05:34.250 Emmanuel, the title from the hymn comes from the first stanza, which is 59 00:05:34.370 --> 00:05:39.680 echoed also in the refrain kids. A refrain is that little bit at the 60 00:05:39.759 --> 00:05:45.160 end that we seeing over and over at the end of each verse. Oh 61 00:05:45.240 --> 00:05:50.389 calm, oh come Emmanuel, and ransom, captive Israel that mourns and lonely 62 00:05:50.430 --> 00:05:59.990 exile here until the son of God appear. Rejoice, rejoice, Emanuel shall 63 00:06:00.110 --> 00:06:06.220 come to the Oh Israel. What does this mean? These are words that 64 00:06:06.259 --> 00:06:13.860 are drawn from these passages that we've read, and Isaiah Emanuel. Let's start 65 00:06:13.939 --> 00:06:17.500 with that word. It's a good word to know and use when referring to 66 00:06:17.649 --> 00:06:23.970 God, and it comes up here in the Prophet Isaiah, in Chapter Seven 67 00:06:24.089 --> 00:06:29.290 and verse fourteen, and then again in chapter eight, Verse Eight. It's 68 00:06:29.290 --> 00:06:33.160 a Hebrew word, actually Hebrew word that shows up in our English bibles. 69 00:06:33.199 --> 00:06:38.279 Every now and then you'll come across one of these that, instead of translating, 70 00:06:38.959 --> 00:06:45.639 we transliterate. We just turned the English or the Hebrew letters into English 71 00:06:45.680 --> 00:06:51.910 letters and then pronounce it Emmanuel. It means God with us. If you 72 00:06:53.269 --> 00:07:00.350 turn over to Matthew, Chapter One, you find this stated explicitly. I'm 73 00:07:00.470 --> 00:07:05.579 here. You read the story about an angel coming to a man named Joseph. 74 00:07:06.660 --> 00:07:14.019 Joseph was engaged to a woman named Mary. Mary became pregnant during their 75 00:07:14.180 --> 00:07:19.089 engagement, but not by Joseph. I'll pick up the story in verse twenty. 76 00:07:20.610 --> 00:07:24.370 As he, that is Joseph, considered these things, behold, an 77 00:07:24.410 --> 00:07:27.490 angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, Joseph, 78 00:07:28.410 --> 00:07:31.759 son of David, do not fear to take Mary as your wife, for 79 00:07:31.879 --> 00:07:39.399 that which is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit, she will bear 80 00:07:39.480 --> 00:07:44.160 a son and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his 81 00:07:44.350 --> 00:07:49.430 people from their sins. All this, Matthew Rights, took place to fulfill 82 00:07:49.550 --> 00:07:54.430 what the propt with the all this took place to fulfill what the Lord had 83 00:07:54.509 --> 00:07:59.420 spoken by The prophet quote. Behold, the Virgin shall conceive and bear a 84 00:07:59.579 --> 00:08:03.939 son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which means God with us. 85 00:08:05.139 --> 00:08:09.579 When Joseph Woke from sleep, he did as the angel of the Lord 86 00:08:09.660 --> 00:08:13.610 commanded him. He took his wife, but knew her not until she had 87 00:08:13.689 --> 00:08:20.810 could given birth to a son, and he called his name Jesus. Here 88 00:08:20.050 --> 00:08:24.970 in Matthew, we see that the promise that God made the long time ago 89 00:08:24.170 --> 00:08:31.199 and Isaiah is coming about. This Angel comes and speaks to Joseph and says 90 00:08:31.680 --> 00:08:37.919 it's happening. The thing that was promised a long time ago is happening right 91 00:08:37.360 --> 00:08:46.710 now. God with us, Emmanuel has come and he is in the womb 92 00:08:46.990 --> 00:08:54.470 of your fiance. His name reminds us in this event, reminds us that 93 00:08:56.179 --> 00:09:01.500 Emmanuel is not just a spiritual presence of God, but a physical one. 94 00:09:01.059 --> 00:09:07.899 You can perhaps even say a metaphysical one, as Jesus the Son of God 95 00:09:07.179 --> 00:09:13.889 takes on humanity. It's also a covenantal presence, as the Lord, the 96 00:09:15.049 --> 00:09:20.409 God of the universe, takes our side of the Covenant Obligations, who dies 97 00:09:20.610 --> 00:09:26.120 for our sins, sins he didn't commit. He is the one who commands 98 00:09:26.240 --> 00:09:30.320 the covenant. He's the one who gives the law, but income and becoming 99 00:09:30.440 --> 00:09:35.039 man, he becomes the one who takes on the law and all of its 100 00:09:35.080 --> 00:09:39.990 obligations. Now, all this, of course, is amazing, but why 101 00:09:41.110 --> 00:09:46.389 is it necessary? Why is it necessary that God be with us in this 102 00:09:46.629 --> 00:09:54.580 way? Why is it necessary that he take on humanity and become us so 103 00:09:54.740 --> 00:09:58.620 that he might die for us and forgive us our sins? Well, it 104 00:10:00.220 --> 00:10:05.620 is because of those sins. To understand that, to understand what it means 105 00:10:05.740 --> 00:10:11.330 for him to come and to die in this way, let's go back to 106 00:10:11.370 --> 00:10:16.529 Isaiah and think through the context in which this prophecy came. Doing so, 107 00:10:16.769 --> 00:10:22.279 you'll see that it's darker than maybe you might have first guessed, though of 108 00:10:22.320 --> 00:10:33.519 a prophecies concerning the birth of the savior are often embedded in dark things. 109 00:10:33.559 --> 00:10:39.350 It explains and helps us to understand the the dark or the haunting side of 110 00:10:39.470 --> 00:10:48.070 this hymn again. Going back to Isaiah Chapter Seven, we have this interesting 111 00:10:50.539 --> 00:10:54.779 set up for the prophecy. What's happening? The Lord is speaking to a 112 00:10:54.980 --> 00:10:58.659 has. Why is he speaking to a has? He's speaking to a has, 113 00:10:58.700 --> 00:11:03.860 if you go back and read, because he's really scared. He's scared 114 00:11:03.899 --> 00:11:11.169 about these kings that are going to come and and and destroy him and they 115 00:11:11.450 --> 00:11:15.610 and God says to a has in verse ten, ask for a sign. 116 00:11:16.169 --> 00:11:20.799 Ask for a sign from me, and you can ask anything you want. 117 00:11:20.120 --> 00:11:24.919 Right. God wants to give confidence to a has. God says, give 118 00:11:26.000 --> 00:11:28.399 me a sign, I'll show it for I'll give it to you. It 119 00:11:28.559 --> 00:11:31.799 can be as deep as she'll or high as heaven. How many of you 120 00:11:31.909 --> 00:11:37.149 have ever asked God for a sign? But sometimes people think that if God 121 00:11:37.269 --> 00:11:41.590 would just give me a sign, I would believe. Here's an answer, 122 00:11:41.629 --> 00:11:48.899 an instance where God is practically begging a has to ask him for a sign. 123 00:11:48.740 --> 00:11:54.059 Just ask me anything and I'll show you what is a has says, 124 00:11:54.620 --> 00:11:58.580 I will not ask. Let it be as deep as you all are, 125 00:11:58.620 --> 00:12:01.490 high as heaven, and I'll give you a sign. No, I will 126 00:12:01.570 --> 00:12:07.009 not ask. I would not put the Lord to the test. How does 127 00:12:07.049 --> 00:12:11.169 God respond? Verse Thirteen. He says here then, Oh House of David, 128 00:12:11.289 --> 00:12:15.570 is it too little for you to weary? Men that you may, 129 00:12:16.039 --> 00:12:20.879 that you weary, my God. Also, therefore, the Lord himself will 130 00:12:20.879 --> 00:12:24.399 give you a sign. Fine, don't ask for it, I'll give it 131 00:12:24.440 --> 00:12:33.549 to you anyway. Behold, the Virgin shall conceive and bear a son and 132 00:12:33.710 --> 00:12:41.830 shall call his name Emmanuel. He shall eat cards and honey when he knows 133 00:12:41.870 --> 00:12:46.659 how to refuse the evil and choose the good. And then the key for 134 00:12:46.700 --> 00:12:50.860 us this morning is verse sixteen, for before the Lord knows how, or 135 00:12:50.940 --> 00:12:54.620 before the boy knows how to refuse evil and choose the good, the land 136 00:12:54.700 --> 00:13:00.769 who's two kings you dread will be deserted. So hit. The sign that 137 00:13:00.850 --> 00:13:05.129 he gives him is multi, multi layered. First of all, he says 138 00:13:05.129 --> 00:13:09.490 a virgin will conceive. That's a big deal. Then he says the vis 139 00:13:09.570 --> 00:13:15.320 virgin shall conceive and you will call his name emn Nu Will God with us. 140 00:13:15.799 --> 00:13:20.480 And before he even reaches a certain age, this big scary thing that 141 00:13:20.600 --> 00:13:26.559 you're freaked out about is going to be all over the powerful land. The 142 00:13:26.679 --> 00:13:31.190 kings that you are so concerned about will be empty, deserted, gone. 143 00:13:35.429 --> 00:13:41.059 This is a very powerful promise, but it's going to be delayed. It's 144 00:13:41.139 --> 00:13:46.139 going to be delayed and, as we read in the next several verses, 145 00:13:48.659 --> 00:13:54.259 before this promise comes to pass, these people that he fears so much will 146 00:13:54.539 --> 00:14:01.330 come and destroy him. Now this might break your brain a little bit. 147 00:14:01.570 --> 00:14:05.929 How can God be promising that he will be free from destruction while at the 148 00:14:05.970 --> 00:14:11.879 same time promising him destruction, which he does? He says the Lord will 149 00:14:11.919 --> 00:14:16.000 bring upon you and upon your people and upon your father's house such days. 150 00:14:16.159 --> 00:14:22.360 Is I not come since efrahim departed from Judah, the king of Assyria, 151 00:14:22.440 --> 00:14:26.549 if you skip down to verse twenty, and there are lots of other descriptions 152 00:14:26.590 --> 00:14:30.309 of this, but this is just one. In that day, the Lord 153 00:14:30.389 --> 00:14:35.269 will shave with a razor that is hired beyond the river. So he compares 154 00:14:35.870 --> 00:14:41.139 the King of Assyria to a barber in a way. The razor, more 155 00:14:41.299 --> 00:14:46.059 exactly, this sharp object is going to come, and what is it going 156 00:14:46.139 --> 00:14:48.860 to do? It's going to cut, and in particular, this cutting is 157 00:14:48.980 --> 00:14:54.330 going to be a cutting of humiliation. The head and the hair of the 158 00:14:54.490 --> 00:15:00.929 feet and the hair of the beard will be all swept away. You will 159 00:15:00.970 --> 00:15:07.559 be exposed, you will be naked, you will be embarrassed and ashamed, 160 00:15:07.639 --> 00:15:11.840 and indeed, when that happens, many would be a killed as well. 161 00:15:13.000 --> 00:15:20.639 The Razor would not just shave but but cut name. So here a has 162 00:15:20.960 --> 00:15:24.070 is realizing, is hearing from the Prophet that these things that he fears and 163 00:15:24.190 --> 00:15:28.990 in some ways are going to come to pass, and yet somehow, in 164 00:15:28.190 --> 00:15:33.269 some way, the Lord is going to overcome them. This is why it's 165 00:15:33.269 --> 00:15:37.580 it's mixed in a way. The prophets do this a lot. They bounce 166 00:15:37.700 --> 00:15:41.860 back and forth between the events that they are going to experience right here and 167 00:15:41.940 --> 00:15:48.139 right now and this great future thing that is a little bit confusing and hard 168 00:15:48.179 --> 00:15:52.450 to understand. That's why, when the angel of the Lord comes to Joseph 169 00:15:52.490 --> 00:16:00.289 and says it's time, the whole world blows up. In a way. 170 00:16:02.809 --> 00:16:08.320 There's stars, a star in the sky, angels coming out of heaven proclaiming 171 00:16:08.360 --> 00:16:14.799 the aims or the the the the birth of the sun, all of these 172 00:16:14.960 --> 00:16:18.590 grand events surrounding Jesus's birth, because this thing that was promised, not just 173 00:16:18.830 --> 00:16:22.830 here but in many other places throughout the Old Testament, is coming to pass. 174 00:16:23.309 --> 00:16:30.429 God with us, Emmanuel has come to take away the things that we 175 00:16:30.669 --> 00:16:38.100 fear not just the things of this world, but the great spiritual powers as 176 00:16:38.139 --> 00:16:45.940 well. Satan, death, judgment, wrath, all of these things. 177 00:16:48.090 --> 00:16:55.169 So the first stanza has all of this in mind, hence this haunting nature. 178 00:16:55.490 --> 00:17:00.210 Oh Come, oh comm Emanuel, and ransom captive Israel, because it 179 00:17:00.370 --> 00:17:06.079 speaks to the perspective ors, from the perspective of Israel in captivity, Israel 180 00:17:06.240 --> 00:17:11.519 being taken away by Assyria, being a taken away by Babylon, in exile, 181 00:17:11.599 --> 00:17:17.190 away from the Lord, waiting for God with us to come, the 182 00:17:17.269 --> 00:17:21.910 son of God to appear. Oh Come, oh come. It's a plead 183 00:17:21.910 --> 00:17:26.349 right, a pleading OCAM O Comm Emanuel, it's pleading the promises of Isaiah 184 00:17:26.470 --> 00:17:33.059 Fourteen. Oh Coamo, come emmanual and ransom us out of captivity. Ransom 185 00:17:33.180 --> 00:17:38.059 captive Israel that mourns in lonely exile here until the son of God appear. 186 00:17:38.619 --> 00:17:44.970 But then the note of hope at the end, rejoice, rejoice, Emanuel 187 00:17:45.170 --> 00:17:51.089 shall come to the Oh Israel. So we have this song that, on 188 00:17:51.130 --> 00:17:55.089 the one hand, sounds very much like mourning, oh come, oh come, 189 00:17:55.210 --> 00:18:00.400 e man You well, but also has this note of hope. Rejoice, 190 00:18:00.720 --> 00:18:04.839 rejoice. It's proud, it's strong, it has both, because that's 191 00:18:04.839 --> 00:18:11.160 exactly what's here in Isaiah. It's exactly what's here throughout the Bible. This 192 00:18:11.200 --> 00:18:15.950 is a pattern for the life of God's people to follow. We mourn, 193 00:18:17.150 --> 00:18:21.230 but we do not lose hope and despair. We feel our weakness, but 194 00:18:21.349 --> 00:18:27.019 we are encouraged by his strength, and that leads us to the second stanza. 195 00:18:29.019 --> 00:18:32.660 Here we call on God again, but this time we refer to him 196 00:18:32.779 --> 00:18:40.220 as Lord of might, strong Lord, powerful Lord. These are building up 197 00:18:40.259 --> 00:18:45.769 of titles, is common with kings. That he's called Lord of might is 198 00:18:45.809 --> 00:18:51.210 not replacing the titlely Manuel, but it adds to it. So remember how, 199 00:18:52.529 --> 00:18:57.440 remember how the Lord is spoken of in Isaiah nine. His name shall 200 00:18:57.480 --> 00:19:06.160 be called wonderful counselor mighty God, everlasting father, Prince of peace. Here 201 00:19:06.559 --> 00:19:10.990 in the Hymn we call him Lord of might. Oh Come, oh come, 202 00:19:11.150 --> 00:19:15.190 thou lord of Might, who, to thy tribes on Sigin Eyes Height 203 00:19:15.950 --> 00:19:21.950 in ancient times, did give the Law in cloud and majesty, and awe, 204 00:19:22.789 --> 00:19:27.700 rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel shall come to Thee Oh Israel. What's going 205 00:19:27.779 --> 00:19:33.660 on in this stanza? It's going on in this verse. The perspective shifts. 206 00:19:33.700 --> 00:19:38.690 If you imagine. You know how movies you'll have a certain perspective right 207 00:19:38.930 --> 00:19:42.210 and then the scene will shift and then you'll be looking at something else. 208 00:19:42.289 --> 00:19:48.569 That's happening here. The first verse comes from the Perspective of God's people in 209 00:19:48.730 --> 00:19:52.039 captivity, and now it zooms back in time and we see them at Mount 210 00:19:52.200 --> 00:19:57.960 Sinai. Oh, come, Oh, come, thou lord of might, 211 00:19:59.079 --> 00:20:03.319 Whho to thy tribe on Sin Eyes Height, in ancient times, didst give 212 00:20:03.839 --> 00:20:12.269 the law, did give the Law in cloud and majesty and Awe. Why 213 00:20:12.470 --> 00:20:18.390 do we shift to this perspective? We shift to this perspective so that we 214 00:20:18.509 --> 00:20:26.380 can see why the captivity happened. Why are they in exile? Why are 215 00:20:26.420 --> 00:20:33.660 they in captivity? Namely because they have sinned against the Lord of might, 216 00:20:33.180 --> 00:20:41.970 who rules with equity and fairness and justice. If you want to understand the 217 00:20:41.170 --> 00:20:48.130 Bible, if you want to understand the law of God, you have to 218 00:20:48.289 --> 00:20:55.000 understand this picture that's given in verse two. It's a scene, an event 219 00:20:55.240 --> 00:21:00.319 of history that comes up over and over and over again because of its great 220 00:21:00.400 --> 00:21:03.430 importance. So I'm going to take you there now, to Exodus, chapter 221 00:21:03.589 --> 00:21:12.390 twelve. Exus twelve versus nineteen through twenty two so that you can if remember 222 00:21:12.589 --> 00:21:17.309 this scene or if you're unfamiliar with it, here it for the first time. 223 00:21:19.579 --> 00:21:23.420 After God brought his people out of Egypt, he brought them to this 224 00:21:23.619 --> 00:21:33.569 particular mountain, Mount Sinai, he brings them to. I think I've got 225 00:21:33.609 --> 00:21:47.240 the wrong chapter here or I'm in the wrong place. Hmm, I must 226 00:21:47.240 --> 00:21:56.519 have transposed some numbers here. Take go to Exdus, Twenty Good Xs, 227 00:21:56.599 --> 00:22:08.150 twenty verses eighteen through twenty one. Here's another place, Exodus Twenty Verse Eighteen 228 00:22:08.190 --> 00:22:11.710 through twenty one. This is the picture. This is what happened. Moses 229 00:22:11.789 --> 00:22:15.900 is recording the events. Now, when all the people saw the thunder and 230 00:22:15.980 --> 00:22:21.420 the flashes of lightning, in the sound of the trumpet and the Mountains Smoking, 231 00:22:22.700 --> 00:22:29.539 the people were afraid and trembled. They stood far off and said to 232 00:22:29.700 --> 00:22:33.450 Moses, you speak to us and we will listen, but do not let 233 00:22:33.609 --> 00:22:37.970 God speak to us, lest we die. Moses said to the people, 234 00:22:37.009 --> 00:22:41.410 do not fear, for God has come to test you, that the fear 235 00:22:41.529 --> 00:22:45.640 of him may be before you, that you may not sin. The people 236 00:22:45.680 --> 00:22:52.000 stood far off while Moses drew near to the thick darkness where God was. 237 00:22:53.279 --> 00:22:56.839 I see what I've done here at yeah, I transpose these numbers. Look 238 00:22:56.839 --> 00:23:00.670 at the chapter previous to this, exodus nineteen. Just go back to the 239 00:23:00.750 --> 00:23:08.190 next chapter. Look at Verse Nigh or ten. The Lord says to Moses, 240 00:23:08.269 --> 00:23:12.140 go to the people and consequent them, consecrate them today and tomorrow, 241 00:23:12.500 --> 00:23:17.420 and let them wash their garments and be ready for the third day. From 242 00:23:17.500 --> 00:23:19.619 the third day, the Lord will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight 243 00:23:19.700 --> 00:23:23.259 of all the people, and you shall set limits for the people all around, 244 00:23:23.420 --> 00:23:29.009 saying take care not to go up into the mountain or to touch the 245 00:23:29.049 --> 00:23:33.970 edge of it. Whoever touches the mountain shall be put to death. Remember 246 00:23:34.009 --> 00:23:38.130 Psalm Fifteen. Who shall ascend the Holy Hill of the Lord? He who 247 00:23:38.210 --> 00:23:44.319 is blameless and does what is right? Why? Because of this verse thirteen. 248 00:23:44.799 --> 00:23:48.359 No hand shall touch him, but he shall be stoned or shot, 249 00:23:48.960 --> 00:23:53.079 whether beast or man, he shall not live. That's the one who touches 250 00:23:53.200 --> 00:23:57.549 the mountain. When the trumpet sounds a long blast, they shall come up 251 00:23:57.589 --> 00:24:02.789 to the mountain. So Moses went down from the mountain to the people and 252 00:24:02.950 --> 00:24:07.190 consecrated the people and wash their garments. He said the people be ready for 253 00:24:07.269 --> 00:24:11.740 the third day. Do not go near a woman. On the morning of 254 00:24:11.819 --> 00:24:15.859 the third day there were thunders and lightnings and a thick cloud on the mountain 255 00:24:15.940 --> 00:24:19.220 and a very loud trumpet, so that all the people in the camp trembled 256 00:24:21.220 --> 00:24:23.450 the MOS. Then Moses brought the people out of the camp to meet God 257 00:24:23.569 --> 00:24:29.369 and they took their stand at the foot of the mountain. Now Mount Sinai 258 00:24:29.569 --> 00:24:34.289 was wrapped in smoke because the Lord had descended on it in fire. The 259 00:24:34.410 --> 00:24:38.640 smoke of it went up like the smoke of a kiln and the whole mountain 260 00:24:38.759 --> 00:24:45.359 trembled greatly and the sound of the trumpet grew louder and Louder. Moses spoke 261 00:24:45.440 --> 00:24:48.240 and God answered him. In the thunder, the Lord came down on Mount 262 00:24:48.319 --> 00:24:52.109 Sinai to the top of the mountain and the Lord called Moses to the top 263 00:24:52.190 --> 00:24:56.910 of the mountain and Moses went up and the Lord said to Moses, go 264 00:24:56.069 --> 00:25:00.430 down and warn the people, let they break through to the Lord to look 265 00:25:00.750 --> 00:25:08.579 and many of them perish. will end there. So try to picture this 266 00:25:08.779 --> 00:25:18.940 in your mind. Imagine a mountain that is shaking. I experienced a very, 267 00:25:19.019 --> 00:25:25.450 very small earthquake when we were living in California. Was the tiniest thing. 268 00:25:25.609 --> 00:25:30.009 We sort of wondered what had happened for a moment. I can't really 269 00:25:30.089 --> 00:25:36.480 imagine the terror that would be in my heart if I was standing at the 270 00:25:36.559 --> 00:25:42.240 foot of a mountain that was shaking, no doubt having reverberations into the ground 271 00:25:42.240 --> 00:25:48.880 and beyond. But this mountain was not just shaking, it was literally on 272 00:25:49.230 --> 00:25:57.910 fire. So you have this earthquake happening, this shaking of this mountain consumed 273 00:25:59.109 --> 00:26:03.509 in fire, and not a little bit. It says that the smoke that 274 00:26:03.670 --> 00:26:06.940 was going up was like a kiln, if you had a fire pit in 275 00:26:07.019 --> 00:26:11.740 your backyard and smoke just raising up. Maybe this is something like a volcano, 276 00:26:11.900 --> 00:26:15.579 except no lava, or maybe some I don't know. Lots of fire, 277 00:26:17.019 --> 00:26:21.009 lots of smoke, the whole thing shaking. They hear the voice of 278 00:26:21.089 --> 00:26:27.569 the Lord and if that weren't enough, there's this loud trumpet blasting, this 279 00:26:27.769 --> 00:26:33.279 Great Trumpet of Judgment that we hear of and that we will hear when the 280 00:26:33.400 --> 00:26:44.519 Lord comes again. Power and fear was to be shaken into these people. 281 00:26:44.720 --> 00:26:49.990 Literally, do not touch or you will die. I don't care if you're 282 00:26:49.990 --> 00:26:56.269 a man or an animal, you will perish. And the people got the 283 00:26:56.349 --> 00:27:00.579 message. They said to Moses, we are not going, we're not going 284 00:27:00.660 --> 00:27:06.180 to go up there, you go. And of course Moses did, not 285 00:27:07.059 --> 00:27:11.259 because the people demanded but because the Lord called him up. Now, what 286 00:27:11.460 --> 00:27:17.329 was all this about? One thing, the giving of the law. You 287 00:27:18.289 --> 00:27:25.529 will obey, period. The Lord of my grabs his child by the shirt, 288 00:27:25.930 --> 00:27:30.720 lifts him up and says you will obey, you are a creature, 289 00:27:32.200 --> 00:27:37.319 I am the Creator and you will obey, and they go yes, sir, 290 00:27:38.440 --> 00:27:45.509 all this we will do or we will surely die. There's nothing metaphorical 291 00:27:45.630 --> 00:27:56.029 about this. And then they make a golden calf, and then kings like 292 00:27:56.230 --> 00:28:00.339 a has and others come along and they plunge their people into sin and come 293 00:28:00.500 --> 00:28:03.940 and create all kinds of idols and over and over and over again. Why 294 00:28:04.259 --> 00:28:11.740 is Israel in captivity? Because the Lord of might spoke to them a Mount 295 00:28:11.859 --> 00:28:18.089 Sinai, in no uncertain terms. He was extremely clear, as he is 296 00:28:18.210 --> 00:28:22.609 to all of us who are made in his image, and says you will 297 00:28:22.970 --> 00:28:29.279 obey. If you want a summary of the law, the ten commandments are 298 00:28:29.319 --> 00:28:32.799 a good place to start. And if you want to summary of how the 299 00:28:32.839 --> 00:28:37.839 law functions and how it's supposed to feel apart from Christ. Then picture yourself 300 00:28:38.039 --> 00:28:45.829 there when the law was given. These verses and the verse in this second 301 00:28:45.910 --> 00:28:53.069 stands of okomo com e manual, connect the consequences of sin with sin itself. 302 00:28:55.549 --> 00:28:57.740 Knowing that you're in prison, knowing that you're in suffering is suffering, 303 00:28:57.819 --> 00:29:02.460 does little good if you don't know why you're in prison, if you don't 304 00:29:02.460 --> 00:29:07.579 understand what it is you've done. But when you make that connection, something 305 00:29:07.779 --> 00:29:12.490 good happens, because now you have a chance to repent and to seek grace, 306 00:29:15.609 --> 00:29:21.970 at least while the trumpet is not yet blasted again. This is all 307 00:29:22.009 --> 00:29:29.000 the more important when we come to verse three of the Hymn, because in 308 00:29:29.119 --> 00:29:36.559 verse three we see that the earthly captivity and destruction that's promised to a has 309 00:29:37.599 --> 00:29:44.109 and to all who strain against the Lord and Sin Against Him, especially here 310 00:29:44.190 --> 00:29:48.710 in Israel, that this earthly captivity was meant to show something even greater, 311 00:29:52.150 --> 00:29:57.619 the punishments that people would face for their sins. Even death itself was not 312 00:29:57.740 --> 00:30:03.339 really the end, but just the foretaste of the end of God's judgment and 313 00:30:03.619 --> 00:30:08.410 wrath. Punishment for sin is so much greater than any of us, or 314 00:30:08.490 --> 00:30:14.450 at least many of us would like to admit. In verse three of this 315 00:30:14.569 --> 00:30:21.049 Hymn helps us make that connection. Oh come thou rod of Jesse, Free 316 00:30:21.559 --> 00:30:26.200 Thine own from Satan's tyranny, from depths of hell. Thy People, save 317 00:30:26.799 --> 00:30:33.960 and give them victory over the grave. Rejoice, rejoice, Emmanuel shall come 318 00:30:33.039 --> 00:30:41.910 to the Oh Israel. This puts the captivity into perspective, it makes it 319 00:30:41.150 --> 00:30:45.309 personal and it means that the things, the perspectives that we've seen here, 320 00:30:45.750 --> 00:30:52.700 of the people in captivity, after after their sins, and the people at 321 00:30:52.700 --> 00:30:59.220 the beginning and receiving the law, this is not just about Israel. Israeli 322 00:30:59.259 --> 00:31:03.460 is a microcosm for all of humanity, which we very much belong to. 323 00:31:04.769 --> 00:31:08.890 Verse Three connects versus one and two of the hymn to our own experience, 324 00:31:10.009 --> 00:31:15.210 just as scripture does. It's a reminder that our exile in need is firmly 325 00:31:15.250 --> 00:31:19.240 located in the will of God, the will which we broke, in the 326 00:31:19.319 --> 00:31:26.160 will which God is executing as he prosecutes his law. But this can bring 327 00:31:26.160 --> 00:31:32.680 us comfort to because the Lord who is mighty and shakes the earth as also 328 00:31:32.799 --> 00:31:38.910 the one who is mighty and comes in salvation, how mighty well he can 329 00:31:38.950 --> 00:31:45.750 cause a virgin to conceive and bear a child. He can take on our 330 00:31:45.829 --> 00:31:51.339 humanity and die on a cross so that our sins can be forgiven. He 331 00:31:51.500 --> 00:31:59.140 can conquer death itself and rise up victorious from the dead. This springing out 332 00:31:59.180 --> 00:32:05.569 of nothing is a described, of course, in the birth or, I'm 333 00:32:05.569 --> 00:32:09.009 sorry, in the conception of a child by a virgin. It's also described 334 00:32:09.130 --> 00:32:14.809 in this third title we have in the Hymn, the rod of Jesse. 335 00:32:15.400 --> 00:32:22.039 The Rod of Jesse is the way that the King James translates a picture. 336 00:32:22.119 --> 00:32:25.759 That might be translated also the shoot of Jesse or the branch of Jesse. 337 00:32:28.519 --> 00:32:32.470 Just a quick note. Verse Three. Oh Como, come the rod of 338 00:32:32.549 --> 00:32:37.630 Jesse, free thy own from Satan's tyranny. When you sing it you're going 339 00:32:37.670 --> 00:32:43.190 to be tempted to connect free with the word Jesse. But the title isn't 340 00:32:43.230 --> 00:32:47.500 Rod of Jesse free another free isn't Jesse's last name. Just a simple thing 341 00:32:47.579 --> 00:32:52.940 there. When you're singing, note that. Note where this Comma is oh 342 00:32:53.059 --> 00:32:59.089 come, oh come thou rod of Jesse, then the verb free thine own 343 00:32:59.250 --> 00:33:06.569 from Satan's tyranny. In my front yard I did some yard work. I 344 00:33:06.609 --> 00:33:09.049 think was about a year ago. Now there's a big creosoap Bush. Actually, 345 00:33:09.089 --> 00:33:15.279 I didn't do it, Benjamin did it. Thanks Benjamin, Benjamin and 346 00:33:15.440 --> 00:33:17.920 Samuel and some others. They cut I asked them to cut the Creoso down 347 00:33:19.839 --> 00:33:22.119 and they they did it. They took some choppers and they cut the whole 348 00:33:22.160 --> 00:33:28.029 thing down. Is just this little stump. You know, Benjamin, it's 349 00:33:28.109 --> 00:33:35.390 back. It's back. This thing was just this little stump for a long 350 00:33:35.430 --> 00:33:37.549 time, months and months and months and months, and then all of a 351 00:33:37.589 --> 00:33:44.900 sudden one day this thing that looked dead shot up a shoot. That's the 352 00:33:44.980 --> 00:33:50.299 picture that's pictured here. The lot of Jesse, or this shoot that comes 353 00:33:50.380 --> 00:33:55.130 up, is after the Lord rises the House of David, just chops it 354 00:33:55.289 --> 00:34:01.170 down, sends his people into exile. It seems like it's over all the 355 00:34:01.289 --> 00:34:07.289 promises to David about the this wonderful counselor this Prince of peace, this mighty 356 00:34:07.369 --> 00:34:12.000 God who has come. It seems to be all over and all done, 357 00:34:12.039 --> 00:34:21.840 until the shoot goes up out of Jesse. Jesse was the father of David, 358 00:34:21.880 --> 00:34:27.710 and David it's the father of Jesus. This is the one who comes, 359 00:34:27.750 --> 00:34:32.309 this lord of my this one who does miracles, who brings life out 360 00:34:32.309 --> 00:34:37.110 of death. Verse Four of the him adds to this. Oh come thou 361 00:34:37.190 --> 00:34:43.940 dayspring from on high and cheer us by Thy Drawing Nigh. Disperse the gloomy 362 00:34:43.980 --> 00:34:49.340 clouds of night and death, Stark Shadow, put to flight. Here we 363 00:34:49.420 --> 00:34:54.050 are beginning to understand more and more the reason for our rejoicing. Just as 364 00:34:54.130 --> 00:35:00.530 the sun comes up in the morning and disperses all the darkness, when Jesus 365 00:35:00.570 --> 00:35:05.289 Christ, the light, comes into the world, darkness goes away. And, 366 00:35:05.329 --> 00:35:08.960 as John says, the darkness does not overcome it. It cannot, 367 00:35:09.360 --> 00:35:17.480 because that is the nature of light. The things of the night retreat when 368 00:35:17.519 --> 00:35:23.550 Jesus comes, the death, the evil, the sin which leads us into 369 00:35:23.590 --> 00:35:27.989 captivity, the sin which leads us into death, the said which leads us 370 00:35:27.989 --> 00:35:32.670 into judgment. The light of the world comes in and begins to disperse that 371 00:35:36.260 --> 00:35:43.019 beginning right in here, in our hearts. And this brings us finally to 372 00:35:43.099 --> 00:35:49.579 verse five. Oh come thou key of David Common, open wide our heavenly 373 00:35:49.739 --> 00:35:53.329 home, make safe the way that leads on high and close the path to 374 00:35:53.489 --> 00:36:00.650 misery. Rejoice, rejoice, you manual shall come to the Oh Israel, 375 00:36:00.769 --> 00:36:13.119 the promise repeated again and again when your little but not so little that you 376 00:36:13.159 --> 00:36:16.440 can't use a key. Perhaps you've had this experience of being outside your house 377 00:36:17.280 --> 00:36:22.909 alone. I'm scared and you want to get inside as fast as you can 378 00:36:22.949 --> 00:36:25.670 and you run to the front door and you unlock it and you run inside, 379 00:36:25.710 --> 00:36:31.789 you slam the door behind you go I'm safe. That's the picture that's 380 00:36:31.860 --> 00:36:37.179 expressed here. Jesus, the key of David, opens wide our heavenly home. 381 00:36:38.260 --> 00:36:44.659 He opens the door and then he slams behind us the path to sin 382 00:36:45.460 --> 00:36:52.889 and misery. Verse Five reminds us that God's Word Not only promises us that 383 00:36:52.969 --> 00:36:59.449 he will rescue us from the dark hell until into which we have plunged ourselves 384 00:36:59.530 --> 00:37:06.800 by our sin, but that he will rescue us unto something when Jesus came 385 00:37:07.079 --> 00:37:13.360 and died, when God, with us, came and died, through his 386 00:37:13.559 --> 00:37:17.550 death the power of death was taken away, and he doesn't give to US 387 00:37:19.110 --> 00:37:22.989 non death, as though we're all just a bunch of zombies or something. 388 00:37:22.070 --> 00:37:29.429 He gives to US life, the life of the resurrection. He lifts us 389 00:37:29.469 --> 00:37:32.820 up out of the pit and into heaven and he closes the gate behind us. 390 00:37:35.099 --> 00:37:42.380 He makes us safe. This salvation is a kingly act and rightly so, 391 00:37:43.619 --> 00:37:46.329 because long ago God promised to his servant David, that a son would 392 00:37:46.329 --> 00:37:51.650 sit on his throne and, as we read in Isaiah nine, rule forever. 393 00:37:52.130 --> 00:38:00.280 This son of David would be called God, mighty God, and that's 394 00:38:00.320 --> 00:38:07.039 who Jesus was and is. This was, of course, a great act 395 00:38:07.079 --> 00:38:10.360 of grace to David and promised to David, but it's for all of us, 396 00:38:12.320 --> 00:38:15.469 because because the good kingdom that was given to promise to David into Israel 397 00:38:15.510 --> 00:38:21.389 has now been given to all the world, a prince of peace who comes 398 00:38:21.869 --> 00:38:29.659 to everyone who trusts and believes in him. David Son is the key to 399 00:38:29.820 --> 00:38:34.780 opening up that eternal kingdom. You can try all kinds of other keys, 400 00:38:34.860 --> 00:38:38.380 but they will not fit. You will frantically scramble trying to open that lock 401 00:38:38.539 --> 00:38:43.570 with your money or your power or your family history or whatever you want to 402 00:38:43.690 --> 00:38:46.849 try, but it's not going to work. Some of them might even look 403 00:38:46.969 --> 00:38:55.840 really close, like ritualism or generic spirituality or something like that, but only 404 00:38:55.880 --> 00:39:02.880 Jesus fits that lock, only Jesus opens that door, and that's why, 405 00:39:04.039 --> 00:39:07.599 throughout this him and throughout the Bible, it's that we're longing for him. 406 00:39:08.039 --> 00:39:13.989 Oh come, oh come, Emmanuel. And of course he has come. 407 00:39:15.349 --> 00:39:22.230 He has come as the angel promised to Joseph. We are still waiting, 408 00:39:22.269 --> 00:39:25.619 in a way, because though he has come into the world and accomplished these 409 00:39:25.699 --> 00:39:31.260 things, we are waiting for them to be brought to completion. And so, 410 00:39:31.500 --> 00:39:37.820 even as we have begun to experience freedom from sin, freedom from exile, 411 00:39:37.769 --> 00:39:45.329 were waiting for a final heavenly home. And so we join our voices 412 00:39:45.409 --> 00:39:50.530 together with people as far back as the twelve century, as far back as 413 00:39:50.570 --> 00:39:57.360 a has and his people, as far back as David, as far back 414 00:39:57.400 --> 00:40:00.159 as Adam and Eve, when the Sun was promised to come and crush the 415 00:40:00.280 --> 00:40:06.360 head of the serpent. We wait for him and we know what he will 416 00:40:06.400 --> 00:40:12.469 do, because God is good, because he is a manual, because he 417 00:40:12.630 --> 00:40:15.389 is Lord of might, the Rod of Jesse, the dayspring, the king, 418 00:40:16.630 --> 00:40:22.780 the key of David. So when you sing this hymn and when you 419 00:40:22.940 --> 00:40:28.940 live your life in this way, both experiencing the difficulties and pressures of sin 420 00:40:29.539 --> 00:40:35.969 but also knowing the hope that we have in Jesus sing with hope, with 421 00:40:36.210 --> 00:40:42.889 confidence, ask of God, knowing that he will give it. It's a 422 00:40:43.010 --> 00:40:45.409 refrain in which we pray to God and we call out to each other and 423 00:40:45.489 --> 00:40:53.159 even the whole world and we say, don't despair, but rejoice. Rejoice, 424 00:40:54.840 --> 00:41:02.440 manual shall come. Let's stand now and sing our prayer together. Sing 425 00:41:02.559 --> 00:41:05.710 him one hundred and ninety four