Rejoicing at the Coming of the Promised Messiah

Confession Full of Joy

This chapter is a rich chapter, as Isaiah may see what will happen in the future. The Lord will do great miracles in destroying the enemies and delivering Israel from Babel. Isaiah may testify of this future: “And in this mountain shall the LORD of hosts make unto all people a feast of fat things, a feast of wines on the lees, of fat things full of marrow, of wines on the lees well refined.” This points to deliverance from Babel, but also to the coming of Christ, which is true deliverance. It would be a blessing for Israel when they may return to the promised land, but it is a greater blessing that we can return to communion with God. For this reason Christ had to come, to merit salvation for the Church. There would be great joy when Christ comes. This would become reality when He is born in the manger, and many will say: “And it shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God.”

Who dares to speak with such freedom? This is the people mentioned before, who received the great blessing to take part in the feast of deliverance. Now they may confess with joy: “Lo, this is our God.” It means to be for His account, since He called and visited them. “Our God,” because the Holy Spirit worked in them true saving grace.

This Divinity of the Mediator is of the greatest importance, for otherwise He could not be the Surety and Deliverer. As God, He could fulfill the Father’s requirements, He could bear the wrath of God, He could bruise the head of Satan and overcome all enemies.

“We have waited for Him.” It is not enough to confess this, but it must also be an instruction from the Lord Himself.

As the Old Testament church was waiting for Christ, it can be likewise in the life of God’s child. When God works this new life, Christ is hidden for the sinner; they learn that they have sinned against God. Christ is made known in the further way of discovery. How does this happen? It is impossible for the human race to deliver themselves by the works of the law, and this is experienced by discovered sinners, who are stopped on the path of destruction; they receive knowledge of God and of themselves. They have not a slavish fear, but a filial fear. Such convicted persons become unhappy, miss God, cry after God and their souls thirst for God. All their works, intentions and promises do not help, for they are all imperfect before God. God’s justice requires perfect satisfaction.

Tears may give relief, but they do not give deliverance. It becomes more and more impossible to be saved, and in this they must justify the Lord. This you will never find in the hypocrite. God’s people are convinced that the Lord would be righteous to punish them and even to cast them away forever. When we are truly brought to this place by Word and Spirit, then condemnable sinners will hear of a way of deliverance in Christ Jesus. When there is no way anymore, Christ is revealed as the Way. It becomes such a wonder that Christ is given by the Father. Then they may feast. Think of Zachariah and Elisabeth, Mary and the shepherds, Simeon and Anna at the birth of Christ.

It is likewise the desire of the Church to possess Him. Some of them often have doubts: Was it God’s work in their heart or was it of themselves? They long for the assurance to be for His account. This happens at God’s time and in God’s way, which is always different from our way.

Waiting in Submission

The great deliverance which is mentioned must yet be fulfilled in the life of Israel. Isaiah speaks of submissive waiting: “We have waited for Him, and He will save us.” By nature we do not wait for the Lord. The world, its honor, and vain pleasures are more important. So we miss the only comfort in life and death.

Isaiah says: “We have waited for Him.” This is the longing of all believers when they have seen death in the world, in sin and in everything outside of Christ. Nothing can be compared with Him. But as it was a long time before the promised Messiah was born, so it can be a long time for the Church. Between the promise and the fulfilment there is often a long time of waiting. First the soul is made longing, which is a time of trial, as we can see in the life of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses and Jeremiah. It is the same with the church. That time of waiting is often so difficult. It seems there is no deliverance from debt, sin and bonds; it seems as if it is getting worse in their life instead of better. This does not mean it is always dark, because there are moments when the Lord gives his blessing and strengthens their faith. As in former days sailors directed their ships in the dark night by the stars, so the waiting soul has stars of hope and expectation, according to the pleasure of the Lord.

Do we know such waiting in our life? What a grief does it give when we learn that our works are insufficient and our arms too short to embrace Christ. We must lose everything outside of Christ: our choice, our conversion, etc; not as a friend, but as an enemy we must be saved. We may have many foundations in ourselves, but they are no grounds. The promise is not the same as the Promiser. Only Christ’s righteousness can save from death. Fruit is sweet, but it is not the Person. The Holy Spirit teaches that God’s justice requires satisfaction. Christ becomes indispensable, for an angel stands before the entrance of Paradise. How much the necessity is felt that the greater Boaz spread his skirt over us: Be merciful to me a sinner.

“He will save us.” This is the advent expectation of the church of Cod.

Rejoicing by Faith

Isaiah could say: “We have waited for Him, and He will save us.” Righteousness before God is not in us. But there is hope for the self-condemned in Christ. Think of the men of Emmaus. As the Lord Jesus explained the mystery of salvation to them, their hearts began to burn within them and then, totally at an end with themselves, they may hear the truth out of Christ’s mouth.

This also becomes the experience of the Church. God takes all foundations away and then when we may accept the punishment of our unrighteousness and may justify the Lord even if we are cast away, deliverance is near: “Deliver him from going down into the pit; I have found a ransom.” This is not because we bowed before the justice of God, but because Christ gave perfect satisfaction, which is applied to the heart, and it is for this reason that the Father acquits the sinner. “We will be glad and rejoice in His salvation.”

Already under the Old Testament this joy was tasted. Today, many miss the faith of which Isaiah speaks. Then we are missing that which we need to live and die happily. It is still the time of grace. Labor not for the bread which does not satisfy. The end will be condemnation for all who do neither get knowledge of their misery, nor of the coming Messiah of which Isaiah has spoken. Now He has come and by Him we can be saved.

Salvation is God’s work from the beginning to the end. He made the plan from eternity, Christ merited it in the fulness of time, and it is applied by the Spirit.

How great is the joy when that precious Mediator is revealed in His willingness in our lives, because in Christ, the Child of Bethlehem, we can find everything for time and eternity! Then Advent becomes Christmas.

We must lose everything outside of Christ: our choice, our conversion, etc; not as a friend, but as an enemy we must be saved. We may have many foundations in ourselves, but they are no grounds. The promise is not the same as the Promiser. Only Christ’s righteousness can save from death. Fruit is sweet, but it is not the Person.

Rev. A.M. Den Boer is pastor of the Netherlands Reformed Congregation of Sioux Center, Iowa.

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