Isaiah 12,1-6. 14. Trinity

Isaiah 12,1-6 4622

14. Sonntag nach Trinitatis 61 

Richardis, Wife of Charles the Fat, Empress of the Holy Roman Empire, † 893 

18. September 2022

1. ℣ Behold, O God, our Shield, and look upon the face of Thine anointed:  

℟ For a day in Thy courts is better than a thousand (Psalm 84,9-10a). 

O Lord God, Heavenly Father, who hast no pleasure in the death of poor sinners and wouldst not willingly let them perish, but dost desire that they should return from their ways and live: We heartily pray Thee graciously to avert the well-deserved punishment of our sins and tenderly to grant us Thy mercy for our future amendment.  Amen. (Martin Luther, AE 53,140 © 1965 Fortress Press). 

2. »You will say in that day: I will give thanks to You, O Yahweh, for though You were angry with me, Your anger turned away, that You might comfort me. Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and will not be afraid; for the Yahweh who is Yahweh is my strength and my song, and He has become my salvation. With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation. And you will say in that day: Give thanks to the Yahweh, call upon His Name, make known His deeds among the peoples, proclaim that His Name is exalted. Sing praises to the Yahweh, for He has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth. Shout, and sing for joy, O inhabitant of Zion, for great in your midst is the Holy One of Israel.« 

3. When is that day of which Isaiah speaks, and why was Yahweh angry with Israel? Yahweh was angry with Israel and Judah because of their idolatry. Isaiah begins his prophetic book saying the people have rebelled against Yahweh (Isaiah 1,2). Isaiah didn’t say that on his own; Yahweh Himself told Isaiah that Judah has rebelled. This did not surprise Isaiah, for he saw this rebellion with his own eyes, and this rebellion was nothing new: from the time of Moses receiving the Law at Mt. Sinai until the last Jewish king, Zedekiah, Israel had been rebellious time and again over a span of 860 years.

4. So we know why Yahweh was angry; now what about that day? Israel and Judah were refused to repentant of their idolatry and that lead to Yahweh’s discipline. First, Israel, and then Judah, were removed from the land. 

5. The Day of Yahweh for Judah in 586 bc was not a day of rejoicing but a day of removal; it was as the Prophet Amos foretold: »Woe to you who desire the Day of Yahweh! Why would you have the Day of Yahweh? It is darkness, and not light … and gloom with no brightness in it« (Amos 5,18.20). The Day of Yahweh for unrepentant, idolatrous Israel was dispersion throughout the Assyrian Empire and for rebellious, idolatrous Judah that day was Babylonian exile. The Day of Yahweh for the rich man in the parable was eternal torment in hades (Luke 16,23). What will the Day of Yahweh be for each of us? 

6. To answer that question we must remember that there are two possibilities for the Day of Yahweh. Judah thought the Day of Yahweh would be one of great rejoicing, but they failed to consider that Yahweh would punish them for their idolatry. Their Day of Yahweh was a day of judgment. Only after the idolatry had been disciplined could the Day of Yahweh truly be a day of rejoicing. Isaiah tells the people that the day of rejoicing will indeed arrive. That day would be the time when Yahweh would restore the people back in the land. Isaiah said: »In that day the remnant of Israel and the survivors of the house of Judah will lean on Yahweh and a remnant will return to the Mighty God« (Isaiah 10,20-21). That day is when Yahweh releases Judah from Babylonian Captivity and they return home. That day was 70 years from the time Isaiah prophesied it. That day would be a day of rejoicing and singing, for Yahweh is Judah’s salvation; they will trust and will not be afraid. This day of Judah’s salvation was a type of the salvation Yahweh would do for the whole world. Earlier in Isaiah, the Prophet tells us: »For Yahweh Sabaoth has a day against all that is proud and lofty, against all that is lifted up—and it shall be brought low« (Isaiah 2,12)

7. What is our Day of Yahweh? To answer that we must ask: What was the Day of Yahweh for Jesus? Jesus told His apostles on Maundy Thursday: »For I tell you that this Scripture must be fulfilled in Me: And He was numbered with the transgressors [Isaiah 53,12]. For what is written about Me has its fulfillment« (Luke 22,37). Hours later Jesus told the Sanhedrin: »But from now on the Son of Man shall be seated at the right hand of the power of God« (Luke 22,69). The Day of Yahweh for Jesus was one of judgment, just like it had been for Judah in 586 bc. The Day of Yahweh for Jesus was His crucifixion and resurrection—He brought both the judgment Day of Yahweh and the redeeming Day of Yahweh together in one event: »Behold, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the Prophets will be accomplished. For He will be delivered over to the Gentiles and will be mocked and shamefully treated and spit upon. And after flogging Him, they will kill Him and on the 3. day He will rise« (Luke 18,31-33). 

8. It is Jesus who turned away God’s anger against us. Jesus is our salvation. Jesus crucified and risen is made known among the peoples. Jesus’ name is exalted. Praises are sung to Jesus, for He is the fulfillment of Isaiah 12. It is Jesus who turned the Day of Yahweh from one of darkness to one of light! Jesus was judged in our place, paid for our sin and restored us before His Father.

9. The Day of Yahweh for the lepers was Jesus making them clean (Luke 17,14). The Day of Yahweh for Lazarus was to be carried by the angels to Abraham’s side (Luke 16,22). The Day of Yahweh for the criminal hanged next to Jesus was the promise: »Today you will be with Me in Paradise« (Luke 23,43). The Day of Yahweh for us was Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection. The Day of Yahweh is now, today, in the forgiveness given and received in the Lord’s Supper. 

10. Isaiah heard this promise from Yahweh: »For a brief moment I deserted you, but with great compassion I will gather you. In overflowing anger for a moment I hid My face from you, but with everlasting love I will have compassion on you, says Yahweh, your Redeemer« (Isaiah 54,7-8). This Yahweh is Christ Jesus our Savior and Redeemer. 

11. He sent no angel to our race, 

Of higher or of lower place,

But wore the robe of human frame,

And to this world Himself He came. (O Love, How Deep, Thomas à Kempis 1380-1471 lsb 544,2) 

This is most certainly true. 

9. The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4,7).  Amen. 

10. Let us pray. O God, who holds together earth and heaven; teach us to sing psalms and hymns with our hearts, so that we forever praise You our Redeemer.  Amen. (Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele elkg 597,4 2021 Norbert Kissel (1987) 1991 from Psalm 103)

To God alone be the Glory 

Gode ealdore sy se cyneþrymm

✠

 

All Scriptural quotations are translations done by The Rev. Peter A. Bauernfeind using the Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia, 4. Edition © 1990 Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart, Septuaginta, Vol. I and II 2. Revised Edition © 2006 Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart and the Novum Testamentum Graece, Nestle-Aland 28. Revised Edition © 2012 Deutsch Bibelgesellschaft, Stuttgart.