Sermon Snippet – God’s Remnant _ Part II
INTRODUCTION – We return to last week’s theme. The concept of God’s remnant is found throughout His Word, including in the book of Isaiah. Let us consider some of the blessings that are ours, even though we are few in number.
1. PRAYER IS BETTER THAN PRIDE
This point builds on our discussion of Isaiah 28:1-5 last week, in which we found that God offers His beauty in place of our pride. In Isaiah 37:1-7, the arrogant Assyrians assumed that they would run roughshod over King Hezekiah and the people of Judah (the southern part of Israel). Verse 4 directs “the remnant” to trust in prayer. The continued existence of “the remnant” was a strong reminder that God was already at work. Now, a special deliverance from a vastly superior military force was needed. The answer to this prayer was rapid – it had to be – and God assured the people through the prophet that, as an old Gospel song says, “Deliverance shall come.” Answered prayer is part of His beauty. Verses 36-38 briefly record the specific fulfillment, a mixture of the miraculous and the sadly mundane. The New Testament exhorts us to “pray without ceasing” (I Thessalonians 5:17) and encourages us that “the effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16b). At the very least, prayer works to diminish our foolish pride, for the act of prayer is a tacit admission that we know that we are limited and that God “is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20a). Let us discard pride; instead, let us pray.
2. GOD PROTECTS US ZEALOUSLY
Isaiah 37:30-32 is part of the account that we have just studied. However, it advances the thought in at least two ways. First, it looks beyond the immediate intervention of God to His promised provision over the next three years for His “remnant.” Second, it is “the zeal of the LORD of hosts” that seals this promise. Whenever God is at work, He is fully at work, vigorously and enthusiastically. His intensity never wavers. The Messianic prophecy of Isaiah 9:6-7 ends with the same assurance: “The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.” Similarly, Isaiah 59:16-21 states that the promised Savior will be “clad with zeal as a cloak” (verse 17) as He becomes our Kinsman-Redeemer (the meaning of “Redeemer” in verse 20). Our salvation is thus secure: we are to be “confident of this very thing, that He [Who] hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ” (Philippians 1:6). Of course He will, for His zeal remains constant and consistent.
3. WE ARE NOT ALONE
Isaiah 46 is a well-known chapter that again speaks of “the remnant” (verse 3). At times, we may feel alone; Elijah did and received the assurance that there were still “seven thousand in Israel” (I Kings 19:18) who were faithful. In the early history of the Church, Athanasius stood strongly against the Arian heresy (which, among many errors, erroneously stated that Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit are not fully God). It is an axiom that it was “Athanasius against the world.” Others did agree with him, though. Even if they had not supported the truth, Athanasius would not have been alone, for God has vowed, “I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee” (Hebrews 13:5c). What a comfort! What a certainty!
CONCLUSION – May we value that which our God cherishes. His remnant is precious to Him, and each person in that remnant is His treasure. Each one of us must trust in His salvation; Jesus, God the Son, said, “I Bring near My righteousness” (Isaiah 46:13a), and indeed He came as close as is possible, taking our sins on the Cross and giving us His righteousness. Truly He can be trusted.