2014년 4월 6일 주일 영어예배 설교
이사야 52:11-12

(Isaiah 52:11-12)

     Christian people experienced the amazing graceful call from their sinful bondage to the free saving grace. If one claims himself or herself to be a true believer, he or she is definitely sure of the call, and clearly remembers it. We all know that we do not deserve the grace of salvation and forgiveness of sins that is given to us. However, God called all of us according to the purpose of His will because God is pleased to save us. This is the very good news, or the Christian gospel. And then, another call from God is offered to His people who were reborn as God’s people through the first saving call. Today, through the prophecy of Isaiah, we are going to be appreciating what the call is and how the call and response of Christian people to it is realized.

To the people of Israel who were in the exile and slavery, the gospel was already proclaimed. The city of Jerusalem would be restored, and the people would be set free from the exile and return to the promised land. This saving good news from God was delivered to the people by the Prophet Isaiah. Their God gives the merciful and saving command to them, “Come out of there!” and “Rejoice, rejoice at His great salvation!” The undeserving people would be forgiven of their sins, be healed, and be restored by God’s grace and mercy. There was no hope at all on their side. They were just seeing their helpless reality in the bondage. They were groaning due to their reality. But God’s faithfulness to His own promise, God’s grace and love to His people, and God’s power saved them. None of their merits or contributions are found in this salvation. Specifically speaking, they are totally unable and depraved to save their own life. But God calls them, “Come out of there!”, and that calling is realized and perfectly works. So we call it ‘grace, God’s grace of salvation, God’s grace of salvation for sinners.’ And the Prophet Isaiah clearly and repeatedly prophesies that this saving work of God is ultimately accomplished by and through ‘the Servant,’ ‘the Lamb of God’ – Jesus Christ. All the history of one country called Israel are employed to demonstrate analogically and typologically the attributes, will, and purpose of God in saving sinners. All of us are called to the salvation that is freely given in Jesus Christ. So as a result of God’s eagerness to save us in Jesus Christ, we come to realize the fact. The fact is that the true cause of human beings’ predicaments, especially of death, is the nature of sinfulness, and that with their totally depraved and crippled mind and reason, they never save themselves from the reality, and that in Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God, you find the true life, enjoy the freedom, and shutter the curse of death. Finally, you come to confess like this, “Jesus my Lord, you are all to me.”

Now, to the people who, through the call of salvation, were newly identified, another call is offered -The call to the holy pilgrimage. In verse 11, “Depart, depart, go out from there; touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the Lord.” Here, the expression, ‘Depart, go out from there; touch not unclean thing; go out from the midst of her,’ is a commandment of God to His saved people to leave the whole habit, settings, and atmosphere of the old sinful life behind. The words, ‘purify yourself,’ means that, beyond just distinguishing themselves from the old idolatrous slavery life, they should prepare themselves to worship their God, true God. In the phrase, ‘you who bear the vessels of the Lord,’ the vessels mean the articles and devices that are used for worship and sacrifice. This shows that as a priestly function, how God considers His people’s worship life important.

In verse 12, “For you shall not go out in haste, and you shall not go in flight, for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard.” Now, God suggests the reason why the people should and need to leave the old self and life, and purify themselves preparing for the true worship to the true God. The expression, ‘you shall not go out in haste, and you shall not go in flight,’ is the first reason. This means that their salvation was already determined and confirmed, so they don’t have to hurry like their ancestors hurried when escaping Egypt. This also means that there will be nothing to distract the firmly decided salvation of God for His people. Consequently, now what the people should do is purifying themselves and always preparing the true worship as verse 11 directs, and not worry about their situation. The second reason why they are able to follow the direction of verse 11, “Depart, depart, go out from there; touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the Lord,” is “for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard” in verse 12. This promise again reminds them of the cloud and fire pillars in their ancestors’ Exodus. This assurance demonstrates that the people’s salvation is not only unchangeably decided but also will be maintained without any cancelation or being threatened. To sum it up, the gospel was already proclaimed. The people’s salvation was determined and confirmed. Now, they are called to holy pilgrimage as God’s chosen and distinguished people. And there is a perfect appropriateness that they should and are able to respond to the call to a holy, distinctive life. That is the fact that by God, there will never be any distraction to the mind of God’s people to respond to the holy calling, and will be God’s own safety guard for the people’s holy pilgrimage.

All the prophecies are essentially pointing to Jesus Christ our Lord as the Bible says, “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he (Jesus) interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself,” ““Then he (Jesus) said to them, “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.”” You and I are all called to the holy pilgrimage because the great salvation gospel was proclaimed for us, and we definitely responded and accepted the call of the gospel by the work of the Holy Spirit in Jesus Christ. This Isaiah’s prophecy in today’s text has been fulfilled by and in Jesus Christ, the Servant of God, the Lamb of God. As God’s people, we were called from the sinful bondage to the free salvation of God’s grace in Jesus Christ. The irresistible calling of God made all of us reborn as the new creature who was saved from the curse of death. However, this call does not mean that we can live as we like just putting a train ticket for the heave in a pocket. The call means that the holy pilgrimage to the final destination begun for us. So to believers like you and me, another call was offered, today’s text, “Depart, depart, go out from there; touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the Lord.” Do you hear this voice of God? When you hear this heart-breaking asking of God, “Depart, depart, go out from there; touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the Lord,” can you feel how God cherishes and loves you? God has perfectly kept and been faithful to His promise for you regardless of your unfaithfulness and underservingness. And now, God again asks you to willingly participate in this holy pilgrimage. You and I are on the pilgrimage that is suggested to only God’s people. Believers have a totally different identity, outlook, purpose, and world-view. We are involved in the great marching of the Kingdom of God, and we are looking for the completion of the Kingdom. We have to purify ourselves from the world that neither knows nor acknowledges God. We are not called to an easy life. If one says that Christian life is easy and always comfortable, that is definitely not Christian gospel. That is a lie or misunderstanding. We are called to a tough but holy pilgrimage.

However, there is very crucial point that we must not forget. This point is that we cannot only respond to this call but also live this holy pilgrimage life without being in Jesus Christ, without relying on Jesus Christ. No, we cannot! You know very well that you cannot! It is true that we are so fragile, helpless, sinful and fickle. Our resolution cannot make it possible. We see in the Bible that the very first perfect man, Adam, all the godly kings and patriarchs, and all the great prophets fell. They all fell. All the great Christian figures in history fell. We fall. In order for us to respond to the call to the holy pilgrimage and participate in it, we should be in Jesus Christ. That is, we should rely on Jesus Christ. This is because the one and only being who lived the perfectly purified and holy life is Jesus Christ. We can be purified only by relying on Jesus’ purification, the merits of him. In him, Jesus Christ, we can purify ourselves, we are able to “not touch the unclean things,” as today’s texts requires of us. Jesus Christ showed the perfect purified and holy life before God. God counts only Jesus’ one as a tact holy life. Only Jesus Christ satisfies God. So Christian gospel always claims the tremendous condition, “In Him,” “In Christ.” Not only that, again, as today’s text directs us, do you want to lead your worship life? You indeed need to rely on Jesus Christ. He offered himself as the perfect sacrifice for us. God accepts the worship, the sacrifice. Jesus Christ is the eternal Priest of us. Now, each of us is a priest before God in our lives. But it is counted only in Christ, in the name of Jesus Christ. Only in Christ, only by relying on Christ, we can be ‘the one who bears the vessels of the Lord’ as today’s text calls. The comforting promise of God in today’s text, “For you shall not go out in haste, and you shall not go in flight, for the Lord will go before you, and the God of Israel will be your rear guard,” has been fulfilled through Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God.

Everyone, the call to the holy pilgrimage that is given to the people of God is not easy life. But if you are surely in Jesus Christ, rejoice! The Lamb of God accomplished all things required for you. Now, you can live your pilgrimage life in Him, by Him, through Him. This is Christian reality. “Whoever believes in me shall never thirst” (John 6:35); this is reality. So now you can sing this hymn, “I’m rejoicing night and day as I walk the pilgrim way for the hand of God in all my life I see. And the reason of my bliss, yes the secret all is this: That the Comforter abides with me. He abides. He abides. Hallelujah, he abides with me. I’m rejoicing night and day as I walk the narrow way for the Comforter abides with me.” You always need Him. You need Jesus Christ forever. He is your everlasting joy. You never, never, never outgrow your need for Him, Jesus Christ your Lord, who is all to you. Everyone, listen again to the loving call of God to His people in the text, “Depart, depart, go out from there; touch no unclean thing; go out from the midst of her; purify yourselves, you who bear the vessels of the Lord.” Promptly respond to this marvelous graceful calling, in Christ holding the old rugged bloody cross of him and relying on his perfect merits for us. Then you will live your glorious pilgrimage life until the very day you will meet your Lord Jesus Christ face to face, and you will participate in the triumphantly victorious singing of the Lamb of God in the new heaven and earth.