God Is My Salvation

Introduction: Isaiah 11 offers us a prophetic and poetic rendering of what would be accomplished through the Messiah.
Out of Jesse will come the true Vine spoken of in John 15.
The spirit of God will dwell on Him as in John 1:32-34 And John bore witness: "I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, 'He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.' And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God."
This is the one who will rule and judge all the earth in righteousness.
As a result of his righteous rule the wolf and the lamb, the leopard and the goat, the calf and the lion, the cow and the bear, the child and the cobra, Jew and Gentile, will live together in harmony, for, 'The earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord.'
A standard will raised to call all Israel to their God.
This is a poetic rendering of what we believe to be accomplished through the person and work of Christ, by His righteous life and His substitutionary death as, 'He who knew no sin,' endured the death penalty of a criminal.
Chapter 11 is full of God's wondrous works as He calls His people out of their sins and into the knowledge of God.
Chapter 12 contains our response as we recall God's workings with us and His faithfulness to we who have been redeemed by His own blood. It begins with a word of personal praise, followed by a word of personal commitment, to a word of personal joy, on to a call for all the church to worship God.

I. A word of personal praise (Verse 1)

A. I will give praise to you, O Lord: Our response to God's dealings with us begins at a personal level, with a recollection of what God has done for us. I will praise thee, or I will give thanks to you, O Lord.

1. We may not offer a call to praise until we have formed a habit of praise ourselves. A call to
love God from someone who does not love God is viewed as hypocritical. A news reporter who does not investigate a story sufficiently is viewed as unreliable. A call to thankfulness by an ingrate is at best a sounding brass.

2. We must have something to be thankful for. Everyone in the world has blessings from God,
It rains on the just and the unjust. But more specifically in order to worship God rightly we must have that supreme blessing of regeneration by the spirit. Christ said they that worship, must worship in spirit and in truth. The second part of this verse gives us a reason for thankfulness.

B. For though you were angry with me:
John 3:36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life;
whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. We had a problem. God was angry with us. We had wrath abiding, dwelling, remaining, living on us. It was not because God is an angry God. It was our own sins that God hated so. We were given to all unrighteousness. We were set at odds with God. We could not reconcile ourselves with God. But then Christ came.

1. Your anger turned away:
Numbers 6:22-27 The LORD spoke to Moses, saying, "Speak to Aaron and his sons, saying, Thus you shall bless the people of Israel: you shall say to them, The LORD bless you and keep you; the LORD make his face to shine upon you and be gracious to you; the LORD lift up his countenance upon you and give you peace. "So shall they put my name upon the people of Israel, and I will bless them."
Matthew 27:46 And about the ninth hour Jesus cried out with a loud voice, saying, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?"
2 Corinthians 4:8-10 We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; 9persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.
Christ was Forsaken so that we will never again know the wrath that once abided on us.

2. That you might comfort me: God's anger is turned away so that He might be our comfort. Christ is our wrath bearer and our comforter.
Hebrews 4: 14-16 Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.

II. A word of personal commitment (Verse 2): Personal commitment is also a response to what Christ has done for us.

A. God is my salvation: In the Hebrew Joshua, In the Greek Jesus.
"Behold, and wonder; God is my salvation; not only my Saviour, by whom I am saved, but my salvation, in whom I am safe."(Matthew Henry)
As such where else can I go to find salvation?

B. I will trust, and will not be afraid

1. Faith requires trust and by extension a degree of commitment. The uncommitted have no right to the fearlessness promised to those who trust in Christ.
Luke 14:27 Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple.

2. Perfect love casts out fear
1John 4:16-18 So we have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us. God is love, and whoever abides in love abides in God, and God abides in him. By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love.

C. The Lord God is

1. My strength
2 Cor. 4:7-10 But we have this treasure in jars of clay, to show that the surpassing power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed; always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies.

2. My song
Psalm 40:3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.

3. My salvation

a. He whose wrath I was abiding under

b. Has become my salvation

III. A word of personal joy Another fitting response to God's salvation is personal Joy.

A. With Joy-Not drudgery

B. You will draw water-satisfaction

C. From the wells of salvation-Where does the Soul satisfying, joy come from?
Isaiah 55:1-3 "Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat! Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price. Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy? Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food. Incline your ear, and come to me; hear, that your soul may live; and I will make with you an everlasting covenant, my steadfast, sure love for David.

IV. A call to worship Those who rightly understand, and rightly believe, and rightly worship God with joy also respond to God's works by summoning all to the worship of God.

A. Consists of

1. Thanksgiving

2. Invocation

3. Witness

4. Exaltation

5. Song

B. Participated in by everyone

Conclusion: Come let us worship the Lord together! Remember His mighty works!
Psalm 40:1-3 he inclined to me and heard my cry. He drew me up from the pit of destruction, out of the miry bog, and set my feet upon a rock, making my steps secure.He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God.
Proverbs 3:5Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
Drink from the wells of your salvation with joy.
Make His deeds known among the peoples, Proclaim that His name is exalted. He has done gloriously, let this be made known in all the earth!