The Sovereignty of God and Man's Responsibility: Part 4

Below is but a small measure of revelation that my father had received from the Lord. I hope this will be a blessing to you. All that is written below are the words of my father.

March 9, 2020

In loving memory of my father
Robert Louis (Bob) Padgett
July 28, 1931-May 22, 2023

In our previous message we shared about the sovereignty of God through several scriptural examples. One of those examples was that each chapter in the Book of Isaiah is ordered chronologically. Moreover, Chapters 40-66 are prophetic of the last days ... the time in which we live. In this message we want to share with you some specifics from the Book of Isaiah, who is often thought of as the greatest of the writing prophets. We also want to emphasize that as we look at some of the Book of Isaiah, or any scripture for that matter, we should always ask our self, "What does this mean for me today?" I am personally not too interested in just learning some historical facts.

Another question ... why is your and my belief in the sovereignty of God so very important? because when we have absolute trust in the sovereignty of God, that builds our faith, and without faith it is impossible to please God. Paul said,

2 Timothy 1:12, "For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day."

What have I committed unto Him? My whole life and being.

7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.

8 The LORD will perfect that which concerneth me: thy mercy, O LORD, endureth for ever: forsake not the works of thine own hands. Psalm 138:7-8

What are the "works of thine own hand"? you and me and all of God's chosen people. However, those verses do NOT imply that therefore I can just sit back, relax, and do nothing. We must cooperate with the Lord. 

But first, to set a background ... the Book of Isaiah is preeminently about the holiness of God and the sovereignty or greatness of God. If we have a holy life then nothing will offend us. But there is only one holy life and that is the life of Christ ... Christ in you, the hope of glory.

The expression, "the Holy One" or "the Holy One of Israel," a title for God, appears 14 times in Chapters 1-39 and 16 times in Chapters 40-66. Outside of Isaiah it appears only six times. The phrase, "in that day" appears 42 times in Isaiah, Chapters 1-39 and only once in Isaiah 40-66.

As a generality, "in that day" speaks of the second coming of the Lord. It is very important to understand that the Book of Isaiah is not simply about the time of the carrying away of Judah to Babylon. Actually, that exile of Judah to Babylon started at least 100 years after Isaiah 39. All of the Book of Isaiah is about our day; it is current events.

We know from Isaiah 1:1 that Isaiah ministered to Judah and Jerusalem in the days of four kings, Uzziah, Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, but apparently to no other king after Hezekiah. In the first five Chapters of the Book of Isaiah, only the words of the Lord are recorded. No mention is made in those five chapters about Uzziah or any other king of Judah. However, Isaiah is credited with writing a history of the reign of King Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26:22), although that document has been lost.

Now let us consider a few verses from Isaiah, Chapter 3.

4 And I will give children to be their princes, and babes shall rule over them.

5 And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable.

12 As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. O my people, they which lead thee cause thee to err, and destroy the way of thy paths.

Where are the godly women who are praying that their husbands come forth in spiritual authority as the Lord ordained?

In Isaiah 6, we see an awakening of Isaiah, who is allowed to see the glory of God and the uncleanness of himself (first) and then the uncleanness of all the people. Compare that to our day when many move in a gift of prophecy and many can give good teachings but few have progressed in the spiritual realm to the level that the Lord is after. Many Christians believe that Paul was perhaps the most mature, spiritual man who ever lived, other than Jesus of course. But listen to what Paul said to Timothy (and to us) in

2 Timothy 4:16-17, "At my first answer no man stood with me, but all men forsook me: I pray God that it may not be laid to their charge. Notwithstanding the Lord stood with me, and strengthened me; that by me the preaching might be fully known, and that all the Gentiles might hear: and I was delivered out of the mouth of the lion."

So a good question is, "Who wants the applause of men and who wants the applause of God?" The Lord is not overly concerned with our ministry or our church. That may be important but it is most certainly not the number one priority in our life. The Lord is much more interested in making us into a man (or woman) of God. I once heard Leonard Ravenhill, a highly respected 20th century evangelist, preacher, and author say, "You can't lay hold of God if your hands are full; you can't learn of God if your head is full; and you can't love God if your heart is full." The Bible is full of paradoxes. The way up is down; if we lose our life for the gospel's sake, we find it. If we keep our life, we lose it. Paul also said, in 2 Corinthians 6:10, "As sorrowful, yet alway rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." Ravenhill also said, "Today the Church in America possesses all things but has nothing."

Isaiah says nothing about Uzziah except that he died; Isaiah says nothing about Jotham except that he was the son of Uzziah. Isaiah says very little about Ahaz, a "bad" king, except in Isaiah 7. Isaiah records a fair amount about Hezekiah, in Chapters 36-39. We should note that up until Isaiah 38, Hezekiah was one of the very best kings of Judah. But Isaiah says much about the Lord, all throughout the Book of Isaiah.

In 2 Kings 18, we read about Hezekiah,

4 He removed the high places, and brake the images, and cut down the groves, and brake in pieces the brasen serpent that Moses had made: for unto those days the children of Israel did burn incense to it: and he called it Nehushtan. [a mere piece of brass]

5 He trusted in the LORD God of Israel; so that after him was none like him among all the kings of Judah, nor any that were before him.

6 For he clave to the LORD, and departed not from following Him, but kept His commandments, which the LORD commanded Moses.

7 And the LORD was with him; and he prospered whithersoever he went forth: and he rebelled against the king of Assyria, and served him not.

In Isaiah 38:1, Isaiah told Hezekiah to set his house in order because he would die and not live. Then Hezekiah pleaded with the Lord to let him live longer and the Lord granted Hezekiah 15 more years. A good question is, "Why did Hezekiah desire to live longer?" to glorify God? or did he have a personal motive? Only the Lord knows. But could he have been afraid of natural death? If so, contrast that desire with that of Paul, who had a desire to depart and to be with Christ, which is far better (Philippians 1:23). Hezekiah had no son at that time so that could have been part of his motivation to live. But three years after his recovery Manasseh was born to Hezekiah. Manasseh became a curse upon the earth and an abomination in the sight of the Lord. That led to the exile of Judah to Babylon. It might have been better for Judah if Hezekiah had died without an heir. Perhaps Hezekiah's sin began when he was not willing to go to heaven when God sent for him. There are several lessons for us in that example, not the least of which is we must trust the Lord in all things. Fear of death will keep us in bondage all our lifetime (Hebrews 2:15) unless we trust in the Lord.

In Isaiah 39, Hezekiah lost favor with God because of pride, vanity, and self-sufficiency. He became obsessed with his household treasures. He showed the ambassadors of Babylon everything in his house.

2 Chronicles 32:25-26, "But Hezekiah rendered not again according to the benefit done unto him; for his heart was lifted up: therefore there was wrath upon him, and upon Judah and Jerusalem. Notwithstanding Hezekiah humbled himself for the pride of his heart, both he and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, so that the wrath of the LORD came not upon them in the days of Hezekiah."

Jesus said, in Matthew 7:6, "Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you."

5 Then said Isaiah to Hezekiah, Hear the word of the LORD of hosts: 

6 Behold, the days come, that all that is in thine house, and that which thy fathers have laid up in store until this day, shall be carried to Babylon: nothing shall be left, saith the LORD.

7 And of thy sons that shall issue from thee, which thou shalt beget, shall they take away; and they shall be eunuchs in the palace of the king of Babylon. Isaiah 39:5-7

Note that Isaiah prophesied that Hezekiah would have sons (plural) but their destiny would not be a favorable one. This is another example of Psalm 106:15, "And He gave them their request; but sent leanness into their soul." Isaiah also prophesied the coming exile of Judah to Babylon.

2 Chronicles 32:31, "Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon, who sent unto him to enquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that He might know all that was in his heart."

And what was in Hezekiah's heart? From Isaiah 39:8, 

"Then said Hezekiah to Isaiah, Good is the word of the LORD which thou hast spoken. He said moreover, For there shall be peace and truth in my days." 

How sad! King Self, that great pretender, rears its head once more. Why did Hezekiah say that the judgment of the Lord was good? because it did not affect him personally. But it greatly affected all of Judah. Sin never ends with the leader committing it.

Although Isaiah 40 on the surface seems to refer to the time of the exile of Judah to natural Babylon around 605 B.C., in reality that chapter also speaks of the time in which we live. Surely spiritual Judah is in captivity to spiritual Babylon even now. That is why we read in 

Revelation 18:4-8, "And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, My people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her." 

From Isaiah 40, the prophecies address Judah as though the prophesied Babylonian captivity (Isaiah 39:5-7), were already a present reality, though that captivity did not begin until about 100 years later.

Isaiah, Chapters 40-66 speak of the greatness of God ... the sovereignty of God ... the mercy and faithfulness of God. We could say that the theme of Isaiah 40 is that only God is great. One of the greatest hymns ever written is "How Great Thou Art." Two of those verses are the following:

Oh Lord, my God, when I in awesome wonder 

Consider all the worlds Thy hands have made. 

I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder 

Thy power throughout the universe displayed 

Then sings my soul My Savior God to Thee 

How great Thou art, How great Thou art.

When Christ shall come, With shouts of acclamation 

And take me home What joy shall fill my heart 

Then I shall bow, in humble adoration 

And there proclaim, "My God, how great Thou art!" 

Then sings my soul My Savior God to Thee 

How great Thou art, How great Thou art.

Psalm 145:3, "Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; and His greatness is unsearchable." 

Isaiah 40 falls naturally into three sections: Verses 1-11 (God is greater than our sins), Verses 12-24 (God is greater than our circumstances), and Verses 25-31 (God is greater than our feelings). Let us look at Isaiah 40:1-11, which says that God is greater than our sins. Also in these first 11 verses, we see pardon, preparation, promise, and pity (or compassion).

1 Comfort ye, comfort ye My people, saith your God.

"Comfort ye" appears twice, for emphasis. Comfort greatly! Don't give up hope! Our hope is in the Lord. "My people" refers to the people of God over all of time who are in a covenant relationship with Him. The phrase "My people" appears 12 times in chapters 1-39 and 15 times in chapters 40-66. The only true comfort that any of us have, is through the Spirit of God. Jesus promised to send us the Comforter, which is the Holy Spirit. That promise was fulfilled on the day of Pentecost.

Notice, that God has not abandoned them or us. He also says that He is their God and our God. He will not let His people down. We must trust in Him. I once heard someone say, "Trust and obey or rust and decay." We cannot and probably will not trust someone that we do not know.

Jesus said, in John 10:4-5, concerning His sheep, 

"And when He putteth forth His own sheep, He goeth before them, and the sheep follow Him: for they know His voice. And a stranger will they not follow, but will flee from him: for they know not the voice of strangers." 

After 30 years of ministry, Paul said, "That I might know Him." What is our major goal, as Christians? to know Him and to walk with Him daily.

2 Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins.

Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, or literally, speak to the heart. Jerusalem was/is the capital of Judah. Jerusalem seems to imply the leaders or pastors of the Church.

Isaiah 53:6, "All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all."

Jeremiah 50:6, "My people hath been lost sheep: their shepherds have caused them to go astray, they have turned them away on the mountains: they have gone from mountain to hill, they have forgotten their restingplace."

So leaders in the Church receive double for all her sins ... first as an individual and second as a leader. But our iniquity was laid on Jesus at Calvary. Iniquity means perversity, lawlessness, or unrighteousness. 

3 The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

4 Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:

As I shared earlier in a series of messages, our responsibility is to prepare the way of the Lord. After we prepare the way of the Lord in our heart, in our whole being, then the Lord will restore everything back to what was in His heart and mind for us before the foundation of the world.

5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

Whatever the Lord has spoken, He will accomplish. This Verse will be fulfilled only with His second coming. 

6 The voice said, Cry. And he said, What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all the goodliness thereof is as the flower of the field:

7 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the LORD bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass.

8 The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.

Verses 7-9 declare basically the same truth that is recorded in Isaiah 6, when the Lord allowed Isaiah to see the holiness of God.

9 O Zion, that bringest good tidings, get thee up into the high mountain; O Jerusalem, that bringest good tidings, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, Behold your God!

Note first of all the four voices in these 9 verses: The voice of God, in Verse 1; the voice of the spiritual John the Baptist, in Verse 3; the voice of the Lord in Verse 6; and the voice of Jerusalem, in Verse 9. Note also that both Zion and Jerusalem bring good tidings. But Zion (overcomers) are exhorted to get up into the high mountain whereas Jerusalem is told to speak to all of Judah. In Scripture, mountains speak of kingdoms, but Zion is not told to get up to any high mountain ... only to THE high mountain, which is the Kingdom of God. There is a difference between being or becoming (Zion) compared to speaking, teaching, vocal gifts, etc.

10 Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand, and His arm shall rule for Him: behold, His reward is with Him, and His work before Him.

11 He shall feed His flock like a shepherd: He shall gather the lambs with His arm, and carry them in His bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.

From Verse 10, what is the reward that is with Him? That question is answered in Genesis 15:1, when the Lord told Abram, "I am your shield and your great reward." In these first 11 verses, Isaiah is looking beyond the Babylonian captivity. He says that Jerusalem has received forgiveness, or even better, total pardon. God had allowed terrible warfare to bring them closer to the knowledge of the fact they needed Him. The payment of double was all the trouble they had. 

Isaiah is speaking as if this has already happened, because of the certainty of the prophecy. Note where their trouble had really come from. It was from the LORD, to cause them to repent. Praise God, there is a Light at the end of the tunnel for His people! They are not forsaken of God, they are forgiven.

"The Lord's arm", Right Hand etc., all are speaking of the Lord Jesus Christ. The work that was before Him was the work of His 6 hours on the cross, when He purchased our salvation. As a result, He will reap a great harvest of souls in the last days. "His arm" is a picture of God's omnipotence. The same arm that powerfully scatters the Jews all over the earth in judgment is to overcome Israel's oppressors (Verse 10), and to tenderly feed and lead His flock.

22 It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22-23

Isaiah 40:12-24 - God is greater than our circumstances. He is sovereign! In fact He will even order our circumstances to help us to return unto Him. That truth is made very clear in what we call the parable of the prodigal son, as recorded in Luke 15. That is a mystery! The Bible speaks of several different mysteries, but in Revelation 10:7, we read, 

"But in the days of the voice of the seventh angel, when he shall begin to sound, the mystery of God should be finished, as He hath declared to His servants the prophets."

Amos 3:3-8, "Can two walk together, except they be agreed? Will a lion roar in the forest, when he hath no prey? will a young lion cry out of his den, if he have taken nothing? Can a bird fall in a snare upon the earth, where no gin is for him? shall one take up a snare from the earth, and have taken nothing at all? Shall a trumpet be blown in the city, and the people not be afraid? shall there be evil in a city, and the LORD hath not done it? Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but He revealeth His secret unto His servants the prophets. The lion hath roared, who will not fear? the Lord GOD hath spoken, who can but prophesy?"

12 Who hath measured the waters in the hollow of His hand, and meted out heaven with the span, and comprehended the dust of the earth in a measure, and weighed the mountains in scales, and the hills in a balance?

13 Who hath directed the Spirit of the LORD, or being his counsellor hath taught Him?

14 With whom took He counsel, and who instructed Him, and taught Him in the path of judgment, and taught Him knowledge, and shewed to Him the way of understanding?

15 Behold, the nations are as a drop of a bucket, and are counted as the small dust of the balance: behold, He taketh up the isles as a very little thing.

16 And Lebanon is not sufficient to burn, nor the beasts thereof sufficient for a burnt offering.

17 All nations before Him are as nothing; and they are counted to Him less than nothing, and vanity.

18 To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto Him?

19 The workman melteth a graven image, and the goldsmith spreadeth it over with gold, and casteth silver chains.

20 He that is so impoverished that he hath no oblation chooseth a tree that will not rot; he seeketh unto him a cunning workman to prepare a graven image, that shall not be moved.

21 Have ye not known? have ye not heard? hath it not been told you from the beginning? have ye not understood from the foundations of the earth?

22 It is He that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:

23 That bringeth the princes to nothing; He maketh the judges of the earth as vanity.

24 Yea, they shall not be planted; yea, they shall not be sown: yea, their stock shall not take root in the earth: and He shall also blow upon them, and they shall wither, and the whirlwind shall take them away as stubble.

25 To whom then will ye liken Me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.

26 Lift up your eyes on high, and behold who hath created these things, that bringeth out their host by number: He calleth them all by names by the greatness of His might, for that He is strong in power; not one faileth.

Isaiah 40:27-31 - God is greater than our feelings or emotions.

27 Why sayest thou, O Jacob, and speakest, O Israel, My way is hid from the LORD, and my judgment is passed over from my God?

I feel forsaken, weak, tired, and faint. Sometimes I can't even think straight. And no one seems to care about all my problems. I just don't feel like praying. I tried that and nothing seemed to happen to help me. That sounds like the LORD doesn't know about all of my problems and my sufferings or perhaps He doesn't care. What a tragic statement to make! So some Christians run from one church to another church, from one pastor to another pastor, from one big conference to another conference, hoping to get a word from the Lord and an answer to their most pressing problems. It is like a religious roller coaster. But the very hairs of our head are numbered and not one sparrow shall fall to the ground except He knows it. I am very grateful that the Lord made me to be a very unemotional person concerning things of the world or circumstances. That has been a boon for me to help me to discern between things of the soul and things of the Spirit. 

28 Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of His understanding.

29 He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might He increaseth strength.

30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:

31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Today most folks, even some Christians are too busy to wait. We want solutions to our problems now. We are looking for a quick fix. But there is virtue, or spiritual excellence in waiting for the Lord. Then Verse 31 shall flow like a river.

Amen and Amen.